$700K up for grabs in grants for business & nonprofits reeling from virus
By Tom Peterson
Local businesses hurting from the pandemic can now apply for grants that need to be awarded by the end of the month.
MId-Columbia Economic Development District- MCEDD- turned on the online applications this morning.
Click here to see information and requirements. Spanish version.
That may be good news for businesses such as restaurants or gyms that have seen a vast drop in revenue or even forced to temporarily close such as in the case of athletic clubs.
Wasco County is set to receive more than $734,000 in state funds through Gov. Kate Brown’s $55-million relief fund created to offset hardships for businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 freeze.
The money must be distributed by the end of December. Administrators are hustling to get the job done.
MCEDD has handled similar money distribution packages since the start of the pandemic.
Some businesses have had difficulty with the paperwork in past programs, which utilized PDF forms.
MCEDD’s Carrie Pipinich said they worked as fast as they could to create an online process.
Applications are due by Sunday, Dec. 20.
Link directly to the website here.
At meetings earlier in the month, grant administrators said they intended to lower the bar for the grants so that businesses will no longer be required to show a 25 percent downturn in sales, however that ability will increase chances of getting a grant. MCEDD hopes the change will speed up funding.
“We’re making it easier because of the timeframe,” Pipnich said. They will also be translating the information into Spanish. The application period is expected to last about 10 days.
Watch the MCEDD website for further details.
The following details are the skeleton of the program and could be changed or eliminated before final standards are put in place.
Award amounts are as follows:
0-3 employees………. $5,000
4-10 employees…….$10,000
11-15 employees……$15,000
15-20 employees……$20,000
20-25 employees…....$25,000
26-30 employees……$30,000
Priority will be given to:
Businesses that were prevented from operating or had to significantly modify their business based on the Governor’s executive orders concerning COVID-19. Businesses that have not received any similar funding so far will also have priority. And businesses that can show a 25 percent loss in sales due to the pandemic.
