Augusta County announces Disaster Recovery Grant Fund for sole proprietors

The Augusta County Economic Development Authority announced Monday the release of a Disaster Recovery Grant Fund to help sole proprietors who are suffering from the costs of business interruption due to the government response to COVID-19.

The competitive grant will provide $1,000-$5,000 cash per eligible grant recipient, and applications are due by 9 a.m. on Aug. 7. Awarded grantees will be notified by Aug. 14 and disbursement checks will be mailed by Aug. 21.

Eligible businesses must be located in Augusta County, locally operated, and the business owner must derive a main source of income under the applicable business. Additionally, this grant is for businesses who have not received or been awarded loans under any federal program, including loans from Small Business Association programs.

“Small businesses, including sole proprietors and the self-employed, are important to our local economy and bring unique character and community flair. We want to make sure that our smaller businesses have what they need to survive and move forward through the pandemic,” said Randy Roller, chair of the Economic Development Authority.

Businesses can use the grant to reimburse costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning equipment and supplies, technology for e-commerce or virtual business operations, construction and alterations to encourage social distancing among other eligible uses.

The Grant Review Committee will rate the applications based on the severity of impact that COVID-19 had on the business.

Businesses can apply online at www.augustavabusiness.com/facts-figures/covid-19/. To learn more about the program and eligibility, visit www.augustavabusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Overview-Augusta-County-Disaster-Recovery-Grant-Program.pdf

Funding for the grant comes from the CARES Act that was signed into federal law on March 27. Augusta County received $6.5 million of CARES Act funding from the state on June 1.

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $200,000 to local business relief at its regular meeting on June 24.