The Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders is encouraging businesses in the county to take advantage of a New Jersey program that can provide them with discounts on purchases of personal protective equipment.
The New Jersey Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Access Program provides all New Jersey-based businesses and nonprofits with 10% discounts on PPE purchases made through approved online retailers.
Employers with 100 or fewer employees are also eligible to apply for a portion of $20.4 million in available grant funding that will be used to give eligible businesses and nonprofits an additional 25% discount of personal protective products purchased through the approved online retailers.
The state began accepting applications for the 25% discounts on Nov. 10.
The awards will be capped at between $400 to $500 per organization and will be subject to available funds.
For more information on how to apply, visit https://ppe.covid19.nj.gov
“Unfortunately, the virus is still here and active. In fact, we’re starting to see the number of new cases rise at an alarming rate and to levels we haven’t seen for months,” Freeholder Director Felicia Hopson said in the statement. “It’s more important than ever for our businesses to obtain the supplies they need to keep their workers and their customers safe, and we applaud Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration for launching this program to help our businesses obtain these critical supplies from reputable vendors and at a significant discount.”
Hopson also reminded Burlington County-based businesses in need of capital funding to purchase PPE or other needed supplies that the county is offering zero-interest loans that could assist them.
A total of $660,000 in federal CARES Act funding was secured by the Burlington County Bridge Commission’s Economic Development Office for the new Health Emergency Loan Program (HELP), which will extend up to $50,000 in zero-interest financing to any business operating in the county for business-related purchases, expenses and improvements.
To be eligible for the loans, the borrowing business must be located in Burlington County, jobs must be retained for the term of the loan and the borrower must have sufficient collateral in business or personal real estate to secure the loan.
Businesses can get up to $10,000 for each job retained, to a maximum of $50,000. Loans will have a 0% interest rate, no closing costs, a maximum payback period of 10 years, applications fees are waived and the equity in the business at risk must be at least 10% of the amount requested to borrow.
“The impacts from the pandemic have been unprecedented, but our county government remains committed to doing whatever we can to provide our residents and businesses with the help they need,” Hopson said in the statement. “We’re encouraged by the state’s response as well. I know that with all levels of government working together, we can stop the spread and overcome this crisis.”
The HELP loans are now available. For information on how to apply and for other resources, visit http://www.bcbridges.org/covid19-resources/ or call the Bridge Commission’s Office of Economic Development and Regional Planning at 609-265-5055.