St. Clair Today

Macomb County issued the following announcement on Oct. 19.

Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) today opened a new grant program to help small businesses dealing with the impact of COVID-19. This is the final opportunity for these organizations to apply for assistance.

“We have been working hard to distribute grants and aid to businesses across Macomb County since COVID-19 hit,” said Vicky Rad, director of MCPED. “But we know there are organizations that we have yet to help. This grant is for those companies. It does not need to be paid back, and it can be used for rent, utilities or payroll. For some, it can be a lifeline. So I’m asking the community to reach out to us, because our goal is to ensure our local businesses receive the support they need right now.”

The grant application process will remain open through November 2, 2020 at 12 p.m. Businesses with 50-500 employees may be eligible for grants up to $10,000. Businesses with 1-49 employees may be eligible for grants up to $5,000.

A complete application must include:

• A hand signed W-9 form (signed and dated within 12 months)
• A hand signed and dated affidavit
• A recent bill (within the last 30 days) that includes the business name or owner’s name and business address.
• Proof of business registration

To be eligible for this grant, Macomb County businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a business located in Macomb County with 500 or fewer employees.
• Must be a for-profit organization.
• Must be a “brick and mortar” business that was registered prior to September 1, 2020 OR, a home-based business that was registered prior to March 16, 2020.
• Businesses must have a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Must demonstrate a need to cover payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, and/or other similar expenses that are considered ordinary in the course of business.
• Grantees will be required to sign an affidavit stating that grant funds will be used to cover losses or expenses incurred by the pandemic.

Those NOT eligible include:

• Businesses located outside of Macomb County, Michigan.
• Those locations that have already received or been approved for a  Michigan Small Business Relief Program (SBRP) Grant, Michigan Restart Grant or previous rounds of the Macomb County Small Business Sustainability Grant. (Those that have already received a check from Macomb County)
• Independent contractors (1099 employee)
• Businesses that are publicly traded or national franchises

For more information, visit www.MacombBusiness.com.

Original source can be found here.