Carroll Rebound Grant Expands Eligibility and Extends Deadline to September 30th

For more information:
John T. Lyburn, Director of Economic Development
410-386-2070

For Immediate Release

Carroll Rebound Grant Expands Eligibility and Extends Deadline to September 30^th

Westminster, MD, Monday, August 17, 2020 – Last week in Open Session, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted to expand the guidelines of the Carroll Rebound grant program for small businesses and nonprofits. The grant will now be available to all small businesses, regardless of zoning, and include home-based businesses. These changes will be effective Wednesday, August 19^th at noon. The board unanimously approved the following changes:

• In consideration of the extraordinary challenges facing the industry, restaurants will be given an additional grant to match their initial grant award. New restaurant applicants will be considered for a double grant with eligible expenses to support their request.
• Grants of $2,000 will be available to home-based and small businesses not located in a commercial or industrial zone. These businesses must provide proper licensure/certification if applicable (i.e. licensed daycare, licensed contractors, etc.) *Any home-based business or other business that previously applied and were denied as a result of their zoning do NOT need to reapply. These applications will be reviewed under the new criteria.
• Assist farmers/producers with a new $5,000 grant program designed to assist with agricultural-related COVID-19 impacts as this industry is uniquely different than a conventional business.
• 501c(3) nonprofits without employees are now eligible to apply for nonprofit grants.

The commissioners also approved extending the deadline for the Carroll Rebound program from August 31^st to September 30, 2020.

The Carroll Rebound application portal now closes on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Grant applications will be reviewed by an internal team with awards based on need and the pandemic’s impact on the business or nonprofit operations.

Eligibility for businesses and nonprofits is different as described below; both must apply online at https://carrollbiz.org/carrollrebound/ and meet the following conditions to be considered for the grant:

Eligible sole proprietors and businesses must:

• Have been established prior to September 1, 2019
• Be a for-profit entity registered and in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County (if required to do so by law)
• Employ between 0-50 employees
• Have a physical location in a Carroll County
• Be current on all taxes owed to Carroll County and/or the State of Maryland

Ineligible businesses:

• Private/trade schools
• Faith-based organizations
• Real estate holding companies
• Independent contractors (including realtors, hair stylists, multi-level marketing, etc.)
• National/regional chains and publicly traded companies/franchises

Eligible nonprofits must:

• Be 501(c)(3) nonprofits
• Have been established prior to September 1, 2019

Ineligible nonprofits:

• Churches (See IRS 1828)
• Fraternal and/or Civic Organizations
• Homeowners Associations
• Labor Unions
• Private or Political Foundations
• Volunteer Fire Companies (will be addressed through the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association)

Businesses and nonprofits may use grants for the following: information technology upgrades and e-commerce programs, marketing, employee training, commercial cleaning, professional services, equipment or vehicle expenses and other COVID-19 business and health-related expenses e.g. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), supplies, plexiglass shields, masks, etc. Ineligible fund uses include wages, lease or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, and expenses not related to COVID-19 pandemic impacts. Agricultural businesses may use funds to offset losses as a result of reduced revenue.

Businesses that applied and were awarded a grant from the Carroll County Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund or any other local, state, federal grant programs ARE ELIGIBLE to apply, although a listing of previous grant awards will be required as part of the application. Applicants will be required to provide financial and employment verification documents (if applicable) and, if awarded, sign a grant agreement, and provide an IRS W-9.

If you have Carroll Rebound program 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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