New Micro-Grant Program Established For Frederick Businesses Struggling Due To COVID-19

Applications are being accepted until this coming Friday.

 

Frederick, Md (KM). For those businesses suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic, the City of Frederick has a new micro-grant program. Richard Griffin, the City’s Director of Economic Development, says the funding  comes from the federal CARES Act.

“Our initial program funding is $255,000. We’re going to be providing grants of between $1,000 to $6,000 depending on the size of the company,” Griffin says.

To be eligible, businesses must be in good standing with the State of Maryland, have less than 25 employees and not have taken advantage of another grant program in the past. He says these companies cannot be home-based businesses or food trucks.

“The dollars from the grant can be used to pay for either mortgage or rent for the business. It can be used to pay for utility payments,:” says Griffin. “It can be used for commercial equipment or supplies that are needed to address safe COVID-19 operations.”

Application are now being accepted. Business owners can go on line to www.cityoffrederick,gov, and click on the Department of Economic Development for more information.

The deadline to apply is Friday, October, 2nd at 12:00 PM. “We intend to announce the grant awards on October 8th;  and then disburse the funds in the period of time after that,” says Griffin.

He also notes a number of local businesses are hurting because of  this COVID-19 pandemic. “We know that there are lot of businesses that are really struggling to keep their revenues up sufficient to pay their expenses,” he says. “And our goal is to try to help them make it through these next few months until, of course, the pandemic hopefully comes to an end.”

 

By Kevin McManus