At least $60,000 still remains to help local businesses cover costs related to COVID-19, of the initial $132,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) funds awarded to Allen County from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
So far, nine local businesses have already received funding assistance through this mechanism.
Businesses that are interested can visit the Allen County website, and scroll down the homepage to find both the “Employee Certification Form” and the “Business Application” form along with instructions.
Any additional questions can be directed to Thrive Allen County at 620-365-8128 (ask for Becky Voorhies), and contacting Thrive is recommended because “the guidelines for receiving assistance continue to shift,” said Thrive CEO Lisse Regehr.
“I also don’t want someone to not apply because they don’t know if they can,” Regehr added.
Thrive can likewise provide technological assistance to those in need, including printing and document delivery.
REGARDING the details of receiving funding, below are the criteria developed by the federal government, as CBDG-CV funds are part of recent CARES Act legislation:
Small businesses (6-50 employees) are eligible for up to $12,000 in assistance, and micro-businesses (1-5 employees) are eligible for up to $7,500 in assistance.
A business can request more than $12,000 or $7,500, on the off-chance that certain expenses may not ultimately be reimbursable.
Any funds received do not need to be repaid, as they take the form of a grant rather than a loan.
The grant funds are a reimbursement rather than a lump sum payment, so businesses must submit appropriate invoices for expenses incurred due to COVID-19. Some reimbursable expenses include: rent, inventory and payroll.
As expenses must have been incurred due to COVID-19, invoices cannot be from before March 2020.
Utility payments due to the county or a city cannot be reimbursed.
To qualify, 51% or fewer of employees must be considered low-to-moderate income (LMI) status. This means that a household (not an individual employee) must earn less than $36,200 per year. A household with five members, for example, must earn less than $55,850 per year.
Businesses that are considered sole proprietorships are exempted from the LMI requirement, but cannot use CBDG-CV funds to cover payroll. However, a salon owner, for example, could use the funds to reimburse costs related to rent or supplies.
Businesses that have already received Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds are disqualified.
