LYNCHBURG — Small businesses in Nelson County that have dealt with losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic now are able to apply for some financial relief.
Launched by the Nelson County Board of Supervisors last week, Nelson CARES 2020 will offer direct grants to hundreds of small businesses in the county that have experienced either interruptions to normal operations or have been required to close as a result of the pandemic.
According to a news release, grants for qualifying for-profit businesses range anywhere from $1,000 to $30,000, based on the number of full-time employees. To qualify, businesses must have 1 to 100 full-time employees and have been in operation prior to March, 12, 2019.
The grant requires businesses to provide documentation of financial hardship.
“The CARES Act funding to local governments such as Nelson allows us to help our in-county business partners sustain their operations during this very trying time,” Tommy Harvey, chairman of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors, said in the release. “Prioritizing craft beverage, hospitality, retail and agriculture businesses for assistance will provide the greatest immediate impact to our local economy.”
Non-eligible businesses include banks and financial institutions; home-based businesses; and nonprofits. Franchise businesses also are ineligible except for those that are locally owned and operated.
Supervisors allocated $350,000 to the grant program, one of several allocations of the county’s roughly $2.6 million available through the CARES Act funding — part of a larger $2.2 trillion federal aid package meant to bolster local economies during the pandemic.
Nelson County will review all submissions to determine eligibility beginning in mid-September. The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission will administer the program and distribute funds.
For more information or to apply for the program, visit tjpdc.org/nelson-cares-2020. The application period will be open until all funds are expended.
For additional information, call (434) 979-7310 or email info@tjpdc.org.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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