Applications to be Accepted for Phase 3 of Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Grant Fund

For more information:

John T. Lyburn, Director of Economic Development
410-386-2070

For Immediate Release

Applications to be Accepted for Phase 3 of Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Grant Fund

Westminster, MD, Monday, April 29, 2020 – The Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to release the final $93,000 available for the Carroll County Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund on April 23rd.  The $93,000 will be available to assist 74 additional Carroll County small businesses, including sole proprietors and home-based businesses, with working capital to address disrupted operations due to COVID-19. The application portal will open at 5:00 p.m. today, April 29^th.

Businesses must apply online at https://carrollbiz.org and meet the following conditions to be considered for the $1,250 grant:

• • Small businesses, including sole proprietors and home-based businesses, established prior to March 5, 2020, with less than 25 employees
  • Business must have a Carroll County location and be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County
  • Only one verified business entity per address will be accepted
  • No duplicate applications will be accepted
  • Eligible uses include working capital to support payroll, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses or other similar expense that occur in the ordinary course of business operations

The following uses are not eligible for funding:

• • Non-profits
  • Medical service providers

The following information is necessary to complete the application:

• • Federal Tax ID # (EIN). All applicants must provide a Federal EIN number which can easily be obtained here.
  • Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation Department ID # in good standing; records may be reviewed online prior to submitting an application to verify the business is in good standing
  • Number of full-time (FTE) employees prior to March 5, 2020
  • Business mailing address and description
  • Purpose of the request

Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis with the application portal opening today at 5:00 p.m. at https://carrollbiz.org. Applicants will not be able to access the portal before 5:00 p.m.

Businesses that applied in phase 1 or phase 2 and received a grant, and/or the application was determined “Not Eligible”, or the business is “Not in Good Standing” with the Maryland Department of Assessment & Taxation, will not be considered for phase 3 of this fund. Once the applicants are verified and approved, pending funding availability, the applicant will receive the grant check by mail.

Combined with phase 1 of $500,000 and phase 2 of $250,000, the total fund increases to $843,000 to offer working capital to assist 674 Carroll County small businesses, sole proprietors and home-based businesses with disrupted operations due to COVID-19. Grant assistance is intended to provide interim relief to businesses while complementing actions taken with their business interruption insurance, financial institution, as well as federal and state partners.

Interested businesses should watch for information via the Department of Economic Development website at https://carrollbiz.org, sign up for Carroll Connect and Carroll County Economic Development e-news. 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 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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