Hardship grants for businesses offered by state

The application for Business Interruption Grants (BIG) is currently available for review by businesses seeking assistance. Applications will be accepted between June 26 through July 7, 2020.

In the first round of grants, the state has allocated $60 million for businesses experiencing extreme hardship as a result of COVID-19 related closures. Up to $20,000 per business will be awarded for eligible applicants.

There are four buckets of funding:

• Bars and Restaurants
• Fitness Centers
• Barbershops and Salons
• Zip codes that experienced property damage from civil unrest

In the first wave of grants, priority will be given to small businesses that have been heavily restricted or completely shut down during the pandemic. Additional priority will be given to businesses located in Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIAs), or low-income areas that have had high rates of COVID-19 cases. You can see the map of DIAs at the bottom of the page here. Businesses not located in DIAs will still be able to apply for the first three buckets.

The application outline is posted here, so businesses can prepare their materials. The application will open for submissions on Friday, June 26th on the overview page. It will close on Tuesday, July 7th. The requirements for the grant program are posted here.