30 Oct Two New Business Assistance Grants to Open November 3rd
For more information:
John T. Lyburn, Director of Economic Development
410-386-2070
For Immediate Release
Two New Business Assistance Grants to Open November 3rd
Carroll Rebound II – Retail / Carroll County Restaurant Relief
Westminster, MD, Thursday, October 29, 2020 – Today, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners authorized the Department of Economic Development to implement two new business assistance grant programs, one specifically for Carroll County small retail businesses and one specifically targeted to Carroll County restaurants. Both programs will begin to accept grant applications beginning November 3rd at 3:00 pm. Carroll Rebound II – Retail will use a $500,000 allocation originating with CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund funding. Carroll County Restaurant Relief will offer $1.2M from the state’s new program ‘Maryland Strong: Economic Recovery Initiative’.
To date, the county has supported small businesses, sole proprietors, farms, non-profits and local volunteer fire departments with pandemic recovery efforts using $8.2M in federal, state, and local dollars.
“We need to get out and shop and dine local,” said Commissioner Ed Rothstein. “Restaurants and small retail are the heart of our neighborhoods and communities and their success is critical to our economic health. Although these grants may help with some of the hardships, the best way to support our community is to go out and visit our local stores and restaurants.”
Carroll Rebound II – Retail
The new Carroll Rebound II – Retail grant applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and be reviewed by an internal team; previous retail store grant awardees may apply again. Retail grant applicants must have been established in Carroll County as of March 1, 2020, be open and operating in a commercial/industrial zone, and be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County. Ineligible businesses include non-retail businesses, home-based businesses, national/regional chains and publicly traded companies/franchises. Awards will be made based on verified employment as follows:
- Five (5) or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE*) employees – $3,000
- Six (6) to 50 FTE employees – $5,000
*FTE employees are counted as working 30+ hours a week
A grant agreement will be executed with the grantee and grant monies must be spent by December 30, 2020. All grant documents must be kept for a period of five years.
Carroll County Restaurant Relief
The new Carroll County Restaurant Relief grant applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and be reviewed by an internal team; previous Carroll Rebound restaurant grantees are eligible for this additional grant. Restaurants must be established in Carroll County as of March 1, 2020, be open and operating in a commercial/industrial zone, and be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County. National/regional chains, franchises, and publicly traded companies are not eligible. Breweries, distilleries, food trucks, and wineries are eligible and exempt from the zoning requirement. All grant documents must be kept for a period of five years. Awards will be based on verified employment as follows:
- Nine (9) or fewer FTE* employees – $5,000
- Ten (10) to 50 FTE employees $10,000
*FTE employees are counted as working 30+ hours a week
A grant agreement will be executed with the grantee and grant monies must be disbursed to restaurants by December 31, 2020.
Director of Economic Development Director Jack Lyburn shared, “We know that many retail stores and restaurants continue to face revenue shortfalls from earlier business closures and reduced business volume. The upcoming holiday season provides a great opportunity for us to support them with additional grant funding and for each of us to make a commitment to shop and dine locally.”
Both the retail and restaurant programs will allow new eligible working capital expenses of rent/mortgage and utility bills, in addition to the previous program eligible expenses of:
- Information technology hardware/software
- Marketing
- Employee training
- Commercial cleaning
- Professional services
- Equipment and vehicle business expenses
- COVID-19 related expenses
Payroll expenses will be disallowed since many businesses received the federal Payroll Protection Plan funds and it is not permitted to apply federal program funds to cover costs that are accounted for in another program funding source. More information, including eligibility and applications, will be available online at https://carrollbiz.org/retail-restaurantrelief on November 3rd at 3:00 pm.
If you have questions, please email info@carrollbiz.org.
Interested businesses should sign up for Carroll Connect and Carroll County Economic Development e-news and watch for information via the Department of Economic Development website at https://carrollbiz.org. No-cost business counseling is also available through the Carroll County Small Business Development Center – please visit https://www.marylandsbdc.org/locations/northern-region to connect with a counselor for further business assistance.
Westminster, MD, Thursday, October 29, 2020 – Today, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners authorized the Department of Economic Development to implement two new business assistance grant programs, one specifically for Carroll County small retail businesses and one specifically targeted to Carroll County restaurants. Both programs will begin to accept grant applications beginning November 3rd at 3:00 pm. Carroll Rebound II – Retail will use a $500,000 allocation originating with CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund funding. Carroll County Restaurant Relief will offer $1.2M from the state’s new program ‘Maryland Strong: Economic Recovery Initiative’.
To date, the county has supported small businesses, sole proprietors, farms, non-profits and local volunteer fire departments with pandemic recovery efforts using $8.2M in federal, state, and local dollars.
“We need to get out and shop and dine local,” said Commissioner Ed Rothstein. “Restaurants and small retail are the heart of our neighborhoods and communities and their success is critical to our economic health. Although these grants may help with some of the hardships, the best way to support our community is to go out and visit our local stores and restaurants.”
Carroll Rebound II – Retail
The new Carroll Rebound II – Retail grant applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and be reviewed by an internal team; previous retail store grant awardees may apply again. Retail grant applicants must have been established in Carroll County as of March 1, 2020, be open and operating in a commercial/industrial zone, and be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County. Ineligible businesses include non-retail businesses, home-based businesses, national/regional chains and publicly traded companies/franchises. Awards will be made based on verified employment as follows:
- Five (5) or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE*) employees – $3,000
- Six (6) to 50 FTE employees – $5,000
*FTE employees are counted as working 30+ hours a week
A grant agreement will be executed with the grantee and grant monies must be spent by December 30, 2020. All grant documents must be kept for a period of five years.
Carroll County Restaurant Relief
The new Carroll County Restaurant Relief grant applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and be reviewed by an internal team; previous Carroll Rebound restaurant grantees are eligible for this additional grant. Restaurants must be established in Carroll County as of March 1, 2020, be open and operating in a commercial/industrial zone, and be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County. National/regional chains, franchises, and publicly traded companies are not eligible. Breweries, distilleries, food trucks, and wineries are eligible and exempt from the zoning requirement. All grant documents must be kept for a period of five years. Awards will be based on verified employment as follows:
- Nine (9) or fewer FTE* employees – $5,000
- Ten (10) to 50 FTE employees $10,000
*FTE employees are counted as working 30+ hours a week
A grant agreement will be executed with the grantee and grant monies must be disbursed to restaurants by December 31, 2020.
Director of Economic Development Director Jack Lyburn shared, “We know that many retail stores and restaurants continue to face revenue shortfalls from earlier business closures and reduced business volume. The upcoming holiday season provides a great opportunity for us to support them with additional grant funding and for each of us to make a commitment to shop and dine locally.”
Both the retail and restaurant programs will allow new eligible working capital expenses of rent/mortgage and utility bills, in addition to the previous program eligible expenses of:
- Information technology hardware/software
- Marketing
- Employee training
- Commercial cleaning
- Professional services
- Equipment and vehicle business expenses
- COVID-19 related expenses
Payroll expenses will be disallowed since many businesses received the federal Payroll Protection Plan funds and it is not permitted to apply federal program funds to cover costs that are accounted for in another program funding source. More information, including eligibility and applications, will be available online at https://carrollbiz.org/retail-restaurantrelief on November 3rd at 3:00 pm.
If you have questions, please email info@carrollbiz.org.
Interested businesses should sign up for Carroll Connect and Carroll County Economic Development e-news and watch for information via the Department of Economic Development website at https://carrollbiz.org. No-cost business counseling is also available through the Carroll County Small Business Development Center – please visit https://www.marylandsbdc.org/locations/northern-region to connect with a counselor for further business assistance.
About Carroll County Department of Economic Development
The Carroll County Department of Economic Development is a results-oriented team that creates competitive business solutions. To learn more about the programs or opportunities available in Carroll County email info@carrollbiz.org, visit https://carrollbiz.org, follow @CarrollEconDev on Twitter or call 410-386-2070.
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