EVERETT — Local small businesses grappling with the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have a few new chances for relief.
Snohomish County has opened applications for a second round of its Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) Grant Program, according to a county news release.
The program, funded by the federal CARES Act, will award amounts of up to $25,000 to qualifying businesses, with a focus on dining, retail, hospitality, arts and entertainment and service sector establishments.
The winners of the first round of the R3 Grant Program, which closed on June 4, are expected to be announced on June 24. The initial round drew nearly 2,200 applicants who requested more than $41 million in funding.
The program began with $7.5 million and will make another $7.5 million available in its second round.
Applicants who are not selected during the first round will automatically be considered in the next round.
To apply, businesses must have a physical location in Snohomish County, be licensed by the state, have 20 or fewer employees and have been in operation for at least a year. They must also be able to certify at least a 25% reduction in revenue due to the pandemic and demonstrate that the business was a going concern before March 23.
Visit workforcesnohomish.org for details and application materials. Questions about the application should be emailed to Workforce Snohomish at snocogrant@workforcesnohomish.org.
The application, which should take most businesses about 30 minutes to complete, closes at 5 p.m. on June 26.
Awards are expected to be made within five weeks of application.
The county encourages businesses owned by minorities, veterans and women to apply.
“We know that our small businesses and their workers have been hurting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” County Executive Dave Somers said in a statement. “Getting these resources directly into the hands of small businesses has been a very high priority for Snohomish County. As we transition into future phases of opening, we want to make sure our businesses are healthy and able to keep their staff employed.”
Additionally, the city of Lynnwood has set aside $500,000 from the CARES Act for small business grants.
Accepted businesses can receive up to $10,000.
To be eligible for Lynnwood’s small businesses relief program, businesses must have a physical location in Lynnwood, have been open since May 31, 2019, have a business license with the city, employ 10 people or less and demonstrate at least a 25% revenue loss because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apply online at LynnwoodWA.gov/SmallBusinessGrant.
Applications are due June 26 at 4 p.m.
Rachel Riley: 425-339-3465; rriley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rachel_m_riley.
Joey Thompson: 425-339-3449; jthompson@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @byjoeythompson.
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