Businesses impacted by COVID-19 restrictions can apply for grants

OLYMPIA – Businesses have until April 9 to apply for the fourth round of Working Washington small business grants.

This latest grant round focuses on brick-and-mortar businesses directly impacted by COVID-19 public health measures. The grants will be administered through the Washington State Department of Commerce, rather than distributed locally. The application is available on the Washington State Department of Commerce website.

Legislators approved $240 million for this round, as part of an early action bill that also provided additional funding for rent assistance and other COVID-19 response efforts.

Criteria outlined in the legislation include:

— Businesses must apply the grant toward expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 through June 1, 2021.

— Commerce must take into account previous Working Washington awards distributed by the agency or affiliated partners. This means grant awards will vary. The maximum grant award will be $25,000.

— Grants must be equitably distributed statewide and to historically underserved and disadvantaged populations.

The grants are aimed at for-profit small businesses in industries that have hard costs associated with their operations, and faced the most significant challenges to paying those hard costs because they were required to close. Hard costs include but are not limited to rent, utilities, payroll or personal protective equipment.

Eligible applications will be reviewed based on the following priority criteria:

— Industries that had to close as a result of safety and public health measures.

— Size of the business (measured by 2019 revenue).

— Lost revenue between 2019 and 2020 as well as added expenses to maintain safe operations.

To ensure equitable distribution, Commerce will also consider businesses operating in a rural or low-income community or that is owned by a historically underserved population including minority, veteran or women-owned.

The application portal will be open until 5 p.m. PDT on April 9.

Application information and technical assistance is available in multiple languages and is accessible to a wide range of people with disabilities. Businesses can contact Commerce's technical support center at 855 602 2722 or by emailing [email protected].