To assist local small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, Middlesex County is implementing a new round of funding in its CARES Act Small Business Relief Grant (MC-SBRG) program which utilizes federal CARES Act funding. These grants will serve to reimburse costs and loss of revenue associated with adopting business operations in a post-COVID-19 environment.
The county intends to award a total of $30 million in grants for loss of revenue, expenses incurred, and/or continuation of services through this latest round of CARES Act Funds. This program will be administered by the Middlesex County Department of Finance.
Beginning Aug. 17, those eligible to apply for grants can do so at the new CARES Act Small Business Relief Grants Portal. For more information, visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/mcsbrg
“The primary purpose of the MC-SBRG program is help the Middlesex County community respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is designed to target assistance to small businesses impacted by the pandemic,” Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios said in a statement prepared by the Middlesex County Office of Communication. “The county is committed to helping our small business owners who are the lifeblood of our communities and our local economy.”
Grants of up to $30,000 may be available. The individual grant amount will be based on application review on a first come first served basis. The application process will remain open until all funds are distributed. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will not be given consideration. An incomplete application is considered to be one that has not uploaded all requested documents or answered all required questions within the portal.
“Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, our local small businesses have been one of the hardest hit populations in our communities,” Freeholder Leslie Koppel, chair of the Finance Committee, according to the statement. “We applaud our small business owners for the strength they have displayed throughout these difficult times. We are proud to offer support to our neighbors with the distribution of these CARES Act Small Business Relief Grants.”
“As the state eases restrictions surrounding COVID-19 closures, our small businesses are continuing to struggle and feel the impacts that this global health pandemic has had in our own backyard,” Freeholder Deputy Director Kenneth Armwood, chair of the Business Innovation, Education and Opportunity Committee, said in the statement. “It is imperative now and moving forward that our community supports small businesses in any way they can.”
All applicants must submit applications that meet the following criteria to be eligible for the grant:
- Independently or family-owned businesses with no more than 50 employees
- Documented business interruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related emergency declaration, resulting in financial loss.
- Businesses must have been opened prior to Dec. 31, 2019, and operating on March 1, 2020
- Businesses deemed “non-essential” within the classification of “Businesses Required to Close” as per the Governor’s Executive Order No. 104, dated March 16, 2020
- Must be a Sole Proprietorship, LLC/LLP, S-Corporation, Corporation, Non-profit* or Partnership
- Active businesses physically located in Middlesex County, with a net annual business income of less than $1,000,000 based on their 2019 federal tax return
Non-profits only eligible for reimbursement of increased incurred expenses, not loss of revenue.
For additional resources related to COVID-19, visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/covid19