Centre County government is providing relief grant funding for local businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications are now open for the COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant program for small businesses.
Funding comes from the $14.7 million in CARES Act money awarded to the county earlier this summer to support businesses, municipalities, nonprofits, educational institutions, and county expenses associated with the pandemic.
The Centre County Board of Commissioners designated up to $6 million from the block grant for small business support.
“Our small businesses and local economy have been hit hard as a result of this pandemic and it is our hope that these grants will help to ease the financial hardship,” a statement from the board said.
To be eligible, a business must have fewer than 100 employees, be headquartered and operating in Centre County, and have experienced revenue losses resulting from the pandemic.
Applications will be open until 5 p.m. on Sept. 11. Funding is not on a first-come, first-served basis, but rather applications will be evaluated based on need for funding, community impact, and the ability to spend program funds within established guidelines. The Penn State Small Business Development Center is assisting in the review and prioritization process and the county commissioners will decide grant awards.
Grants can be used by small business owners and sole-proprietors for a variety of purposes.
The county expects grants to be awarded in two phases in October, with first priority being given to businesses that have not received any state or federal grant assistance.
A separate application for non-profit organizations to seek grant funding will be released at a later date.
To access the application and details about the requirements and process, check the Centre County website.
For questions and application assistance, contact Penn State SBDC at sbdc@psu.edu.
