Thurston Strong Grant Guidelines: 2021-2022
The Thurston Strong Small Business Grant is available to local enterprises working to recover from the financial impacts of COVID-19. The Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC) will administer the program on behalf of Thurston Strong partners. The majority of funding support has been provided by Thurston County.
This project is supported by funding awarded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Award as provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of the Treasury. Grant funds are administered by Thurston County. For technical assistance, contact our Business Hotline at 1-888-821-6652.The majority of funding support has been provided by Thurston County.
AVAILABLE RESOURCES
- Approximately $4.5 million including dedicated funding for minority-owned businesses. Individual grants are calculated on demonstrated economic injury, up to a $10,000 maximum.
ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS
- Independently-owned and operated businesses, with up to 50 current employees, with headquarters in Thurston County
- Must have/provide Washington State UBI#
- Must have been in business prior to March 1, 2020, and currently operating or in the process of reopening
- National chain stores and restaurants with headquarters or ownership structures located outside of Thurston County are ineligible
- Grant funding must be used for COVID-related impact reimbursement and/or COVID-induced operational change expenses (receipts/proof of expense required to receive funds)
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants are required to submit evidence of COVID-related economic impact. Acceptable forms of proof include, but are not limited to:- Accounting/tax forms showing a revenue decline of 20% or more annually or in any quarter in FY 2019 and the corresponding quarter in 2020 or 2021.
- Receipts or documentation affirming costs associated with new expenses driven by COVID-related impacts (hiring bonuses, PPE expenditures, goods and services price increases, etc.)
- Receipts affirming costs associated with business operation changes driven by COVID-related impacts (space reconfiguration costs, equipment/tech costs, emergency staffing or consulting fees, etc.)
- Pending rent or utility invoices (not already remedied through other state or federal programs)
- Other proof of COVID-related financial impact (our grant application reviewers will consider other forms of impact proof via direct interaction with applicants)
ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES
- Direct support to compensate for increased operating costs, market closures, distribution system disruption and supply chain disruptions
- Remedy, in part, lost revenues associated with COVID-19 impacts (ongoing or otherwise separate from impacts funded through prior local, state or federal government grants and loans)
- Remedy, in part, lost revenues due to temporary COVID-19 related enterprise closures (if operating prior to March 1, 2020, and including full or partial line of business closures not already mitigated through other local, state or federal government grants and loans)
- Support adaptation to new or altered operating conditions, including:
- Verifiable, significant increase in demand for services
- Verifiable need for new or significantly altered operational space and procedures (e.g., facility expansion to meet spacing requirements, reconfiguration of existing space to meet new safety measures and protocols, staff training, major increases in traditional operating expenses due to COVID-19)
- Unanticipated costs associated with retaining, re-integrating or finding new employees to meet service demand due to COVID-19 closures and recovery
- Business training or tools to adapt to the post-COVID-19 market (skills, equipment or technology that WOULD NOT have been necessary prior to the pandemic, but are essential to success due to evolving markets and supply chain challenges
INELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES
- Expenses or injury that can’t be supported with documentation (e.g., revenue losses verifiable through review of tax filings; increased operating expenses verifiable via receipts, etc.)
- Funding may NOT be used for expenses that have or will be reimbursed by other federal, state or local programs (e.g., Economic Disaster Injury Loan {EIDL}, Payroll Protection Program {PPP} etc.)
REPORTING
Most federally-funded American Rescue Program Act (ARP) funding programs require follow-up reporting. Final rules are pending but grant recipients may be asked to describe how/where funds were used, the resulting impacts or benefits and other pertinent socioeconomic questions associated with business ownership and impacted workers.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Applications received and reviewed on a rolling basis from inception until funding has been exhausted. Successful recipients will be notified by email or telephone as soon as possible.