The Washington Department of Commerce recently announced results from the Working Washington Business Grant 3 (WWBG3) program. Thurston Strong was informed that 259 Thurston County entities were awarded funding totaling more than $3 Million. Ninety-three percent of the awards are in the form of $12,500 small business grants (under 50 employees), and the remaining seven percent in the form of $4,500 micro-business grants (under 10 employees).
The announcement indicates recipients include registered businesses and nonprofit organizations in all incorporated cities and unincorporated towns in Thurston County, including: Bucoda, Lacey, Olympia, Rochester, Rainier, Tenino, Tumwater and Yelm. Grants were predominately awarded to the businesses most-severely impacted by the newest round of operating restrictions (restaurants and bars, gyms, lodging facilities, theaters, arts venues, theaters, etc.).
In the original round of Working Washington Business Grant funding, 35 Thurston businesses and nonprofits received funding totaling approximately $311,500. Commerce subsequently awarded 53 Thurston County businesses $424,000 via $8,000 “Resiliency Grants”.
After that, Thurston Strong partners were able to attract and distribute over $10 Million in additional grant resources, including CARES Act, Washington Department of Commerce and City/County funding, and helped local entities secure over $100 Million in forgivable Payroll Protection Program loans (averaging $32,000 per loan).
The few businesses that had applied but did not receive grants through Thurston Strong before resources were exhausted were then forwarded to the Washington State Department of Commerce for inclusion in the WWBG3 program. Thurston Strong will continue to advocate for and pursue all grant and associated technical resources to help our local businesses, nonprofits and childcare providers fight on until conditions stabilize and we return to our upward economic trajectory.
Stay strong Thurston.