Latest on Small Business grants to support sustainability and recovery from COVID-19

  • March 22, 2020

*** UPDATED: March 31, 2020: 9:30 AM Eastern. We are no longer updating this post with COVID-19. We have moved all small business funding and R&D funding resources over to our FREE Database at StartupFundHub.com ***

We are only posting grants or reimbursement funds; not loans. We believe that loans will add to the existing debt or create new unnecessary debt for small businesses as they are recovering.  (However, if you do need a loan, we recommend that you connect with your local Small Business Administration (SBA) or bank. They will have the resources and information to get you going in the right direction.)

Check back regularly as we will be updating this post with additional information as we find it.

Please Note: A Substantial effort has been made to provide accurate and complete information on this post. It is up to you to check with each funder with regard to focus, fit, funding amounts, deadlines, and approach before applying.

If you are looking for R&D funding resources to hasten the discovery of disease etymology, vaccines, and products and protocols to keep us safe, see our list HERE.

Updated March 30, 2020: 2:07 PM Eastern

  • Illinois Hospitality Emergency Grant Program: The state’s new, $14 million Hospitality Emergency Grant Program is for bars and restaurants that made less than $1 million in revenue last year and hotels that earned less than $8 million. (AirBNBs are exempt.) The grants, which range $10,000-$50,000, can be used for rent, payroll, accounts payable and job training. The deadline is 5 p.m. on April 1, with awards selected by lottery sent out by April 4.
  • Englewood Colorado COVID-19 Small Business Support and Recovery Grant: This program provides grants up to $2,000 for businesses that have been significantly impacted by this pandemic. The grant is available to all non-home-based small businesses in the City of Englewood; however, priority will be given to businesses that have frequent and/or close contact with customers. Categories of eligible small businesses include retail (storefront), restaurant/food business; personal care (barbershop, nail salons, spas, etc.); healthcare and social assistance (childcare, etc.); art galleries and performance venues; and small manufacturing businesses.
  • Lawrenceburg Public Health Emergency Small Business Grant (PHESBG): The City of Lawrenceburg, in partnership with the Lawrenceburg Main Street organization, is focused on business sustainability through economic hardships endured as a result of the national COVID-19 emergency declaration. Brick and mortar small retail or restaurant businesses with under 25 employees located within the city limits of Lawrenceburg that have been closed or partially closed during normal business hours under Indiana Governor Holcomb’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 are eligible for a $3,500 grant.
  • Y Combinator: Accelerator Y Combinator is expediting its application and admissions process to bring more startups through its accelerator that can help with the COVID-19 crisis so it can put money behind the efforts sooner. The accelerator funds participant companies with up to $150,000.

Updated March 28, 2020: 8:42 PM Eastern

  • Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund: Small businesses across the country are confronting extreme economic challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial support at this critical time can make the difference between staying in business or closing permanently, leading to lost income, jobs, and economic stability. Thanks to a $2.5 million investment from Verizon, who is offering grants to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps until they can resume normal operations or until other more permanent financing becomes available. Grants of up to $10,000 are available on a rolling basis.

Updated March 28, 2020: 10:38 AM Eastern

  • ROCK ISLAND, Illinois: Rock Island Partnership launches Emergency Grant Fund for Rock Island small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The goal of the grant fund is to accelerate access to capital and to help small businesses bridge the gap until additional funding sources are announced. Development Association of Rock Island (DARI), in partnership with the City of Rock Island, will administer working capital grants in amounts of up to $2,500 to qualifying small businesses. To qualify, business owners must employ low- to-moderate-income individuals. Grants are allocated on a first come first served basis and there is currently no deadline.
  • Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP): has been allocated $600,000 in emergency small business relief grant funds from the MEDC to distribute 60 $10,000 grants to Lansing region small businesses. Small businesses wishing to apply for grant funds must be Michigan-based with under 50 employees (full or part-time). The deadline for applying is Tuesday, March 31, 2020. LEAP anticipates contacting awardees by April 6, 2020, with grants distributed to selected businesses by or around April 8, 2020.
  • Montgomery County, Maryland: Expedited Bill 16-20 in Montgomery County expects to offer up to $75,000 in grant awards to small businesses in the county with under 100 employees. It is anticipated that businesses can apply immediately after the public hearing and the council’s votes on the bill and allocation on March 31.
  • Paycheck Protection Program: This national program allows business owners who take on a loan to continue to pay their employees and avoid layoffs during the Covid-19 epidemic. Business owners who employ 500 people or fewer can apply for up to a total of $10 million to cover payroll expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) at any lending institution that is approved to participate in the program through the existing U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) lending program and additional lenders approved by the Department of Treasury. The purpose of the Paycheck Protection Program is to help you retain your employees, at their current base pay. If you keep all of your employees, the entirety of the loan will be forgiven. If you still lay off employees, the forgiveness will be reduced by the percent decrease in the number of employees. If your total payroll expenses on workers making less than $100,000 annually decrease by more than 25 percent, loan forgiveness will be reduced by the same amount. If you have already laid off some employees, you can still be forgiven for the full amount of your payroll cost if you rehire your employees by June 30, 2020. The loan is forgiven at the end of the 8-week period after you take out the loan. Borrowers will work with lenders to verify covered expenses and the proper amount of forgiveness. What is the covered period of the loan The covered period during which expenses can be forgiven extends from February 15, 2020, to June 30, 2020. Borrowers can choose which 8 weeks they want to count towards the covered period, which can start as early as February 15, 2020.
  • D.C. Small Business Recovery Microgrant Program: The program’s microgrants will be available to small businesses, nonprofits, independent contractors and self-employed individuals — yes, freelancers, that means you too. These grants can be used to support short-term financial needs like covering rent, employee wages and benefits, utility bills and more. DMPED doesn’t specify how much money will be offered in individual grants, though WTOP reports that the grants run up to $25,000. The deadline for applications is 3/31/2020.

Updated March 27, 2020: 11:55 AM Eastern

  • National Science Foundation: The Division of Innovation and Industrial Partnerships (IIP) of the Engineering Directorate invites US-based small businesses to submit Phase I proposals focused on the development and deployment of new technologies, products, processes, and services with the potential to positively impact the nation’s and world’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Areas of research that might be considered include, but are not limited to: artificial intelligence, digital health, diagnostics, distributed ledger, environmental technologies, medical devices, pharmaceutical technologies, disinfection and sterilization, and filtration and separations. Interested proposers are invited to submit to the NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Program. Learn more HERE.

Updated March 27, 2020: 9:15 AM Eastern

  • United Kingdom: The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19. Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000. Learn more here.

Updated March 26, 2020: 9:26 AM Eastern

Updated March 25, 2020: 1:15 PM Eastern

  • Agorize Code Life Ventilator Challenge: Agorize has opened a challenge competition for the design of a low-cost, simple, easy-to-use and easy-to-build ventilator that can serve the COVID patients, in an emergency timeframe. The top three designs will be available for free download to anyone who needs them and the winner will receive CAD $200,000. Apply here.

Updated March 25, 2020: 9:54 AM Eastern

  • Beaverton, OR: The town of Beaverton is offering grants through its Emergency Business Assistance program. Eligibility: You must have a storefront in Beaverton and be directly affected by government-ordered service changes. You must have 50 or fewer employees and pay rent or a mortgage on a primary storefront in Beaverton. This grant offers reimbursements for up to 100% of mortgage or rent expenses for small businesses after March 16, 2020 — up to $2,500. Apply here.
  • Denver, CO: Denver is offering grants to businesses affected by COVID-19 through the Denver Small Business Emergency Relief Fund. Businesses can get up to $7,500 in free funding to cover operating expenses. individual amounts will be based upon the economic impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on your business. Apply here.
  • Hillsboro, OR: Hillsboro is offering grants of up to $5,000 through the Hillsboro Small Business Emergency Relief Program between March 23 and April 30, 2020. To qualify you must have a business location within Hillsboro City limits and have a Hillsboro business license that is current. Preference goes to businesses that were forced to close due to the outbreak, are owned by women, minorities or veterans and those with 10 employees or fewer. Apply here.
  • Nellie Mae Education Foundation Rapid Response Grant Fund COVID-19 Racism is a Virus Too: The Nellie Mae Education Foundation created this rapid response fund to respond to the hate crimes and bias against Asian American communities resulting from COVID-19. The Foundation has allocated resources for the Racism is a Virus Too rapid response grant fund to support community-based organizations (CBOs) that provide services for AAPI communities.
  • The Foundation will provide urgent support to organizations for activities including, but not limited to: holding community meetings, crisis response, culturally responsive training for schools or districts, culturally sensitive therapy, community healing, racial solidarity efforts with organizations serving other People of Color (ex. Latinx, Black, etc.), or other activities intended to hold space for AAPI community members. Eligibility is limited to nonprofits, community-based organizations, schools or districts in New England. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and awardees will be notified within 2 weeks. Learn more here.

Updated March 24, 2020: 11:46 AM Eastern

  • Maryland: $50 million in grants, through the Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Fund, will provide direct, immediate grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses that have lost revenue due to the coronavirus. See the details here.
  • Iowa: Monday Governor Reynolds announced the launch of a new Iowa Small Business Relief Program that will provide financial assistance to small businesses that have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program offers eligible small businesses grants ranging from $5,000-$25,000 in addition to offering Iowa businesses a deferral of sales and uses, or withholding taxes due and waiver of penalty and interest. See the details here.
  • Philadelphia: The grant and loan program will operate in tiers, providing funds from a pool of more than $9 million currently available to applicants. Businesses seeking relief will submit applications to be reviewed on a rolling basis. See the details here.
  • San Francisco: San Francisco announced it is deferring quarterly business taxes due April 30 for nine months until February 2021 with no interest or penalties. Moreover, the city said it is deferring small business licenses and permit fees for three months and it had also established a “COVID-19 Small Business Resilience Fund,” which will offer emergency grants of up to $10,000 for microbusinesses that can show a recent loss of revenue. See more details here.
  • COVID-19: Financial Hardship Grant: Penny Appeal USA is an independent non-governmental 501 (c) (3) organization that is awarding grants for use towards food, bills, and any uncovered living expenses as a result of quarantine and/or work and school closures. Preference will be given to applicants based on family income, family size, nature of family (preference toward single-headed households) and estimated expenses vs income. Visit https://pennyappealusa.org/grants/covid-19-financial-hardship-grant.
  • The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant: The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program is intended to provide interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Visit www.gottliebfoundation.org/emergency-grant/.

Updated March 23, 2020: 10:30 AM Eastern

  • Athens, Georgia: The Athens Downtown Development Authority has announced the availability of one-time $1,000 small business grants to offset expenses during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a press release. See Details HERE.
  • Opportunity Fund, which specializes in money lending to small businesses owned by women, immigrants, and people of color, is collaborating with investors and nonprofits to put together a coronavirus relief fund that will provide grants and low-interest rate loans to business owners in need.
  • Portland, Oregon: Jade District-Oldtown COVID-19 Small Business Response Fund. https://www.apano.org/jade-district-covid-19-small-business-response-fund/
  • Gresham, Oregon: The Gresham Small Business Emergency Grant program will open for online applications on March 24 at 10 am on GreshamOregon.gov/Small-Business-Grants. The program provides one-time grants of $1,000 per employee up to a maximum of $10,000 per business and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis to qualifying Gresham business owners with a physical storefront within Gresham City limits.

Updated March 22, 2020: 10:45 AM Eastern

  • Amazon announced a $5 million Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund to provide cash grants to local Seattle small businesses.
  • Detroit: TechTown Detroit launched the Detroit Small Business Stabilization Fund to provide select businesses grants up to $5,000.
  • Facebook announced a $100 million grant for small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and launched the Business Resource Hub, which features recommendations to help small businesses stay connected to customers and stay on track.
  • James Beard Foundation started a Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund to provide micro-grants to independent food and beverage small businesses in need.
  • JPMorgan pledged $50 million to help struggling customers, and $8 million in aid to small businesses, specifically.
  • Mark Cuban Cos. will reimburse employees for any lunch or coffee purchases from local independent small businesses. 
  • Michigan: The Michigan Economic Development Corp. received approval to implement a Michigan Small Business Relief Program that will allocate $10 million in small business grants and $10 million in small business loans to local business owners.
  • New York City: To help small businesses deal with the impact of COVID-19, the City has launched the Employee Retention Grant Program to help retain employees as businesses face decreased revenue. This program is available to New York City businesses with one to four employees that can demonstrate at least a 25% decrease in revenue as a result of COVID-19. Eligible businesses will receive a grant covering up to 40% of their payroll for two months. Businesses can access up to $27,000. https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/article/nyc-employee-retention-grant-program
  • Seattle: The city’s Office of Economic Development is providing $1.5 million in grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses. The mayor is also deferring tax payments for business-owner candidates and will set up a small-business recovery task force.
  • The Main Street Emergency Grant Program, proposed by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, and Chris Van Hollen, would allow small businesses to apply and receive grants quickly through the Treasury Department.
  • Wisconsin: Small businesses in Wisconsin could get a boost from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation or the U.S. Small Business Administration to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. Missy Hughes, WEDC executive director, announced a $5 million grant program, known as Small Business 20/20, that will assist the “smallest of the small businesses” in Wisconsin, according to a release. The organization will provide up to $20,000 per business, the release said. The money can be used by businesses with less than 20 employees to cover rent and meet payroll expenses including sick, family and other types of leave related to the virus. https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2020/03/18/wisconsin-businesses-can-apply-grants-help-during-coronavirus/2863986001/

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