Grant applications ranging from $2,500 – $50,000 are due Oct. 17 and CARES recipients are eligible
October 5, St. Helens, OR — Columbia County Economic Team (CCET), Columbia Pacific Economic Development District (Col-Pac) today announced the immediate opening of a new round of grant funding to directly benefit small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new round of Business Oregon Emergency Small business grants resembles CCET’s first round in July, with three major and significant changes: The available funding amount is high, grants may be for a larger amount, and businesses that received CARES Act funding are now eligible to apply for grants.
On direction from the Legislative E-Board, Business Oregon, has allocated $500,000 in state funds to the region for the purpose of providing direct financial assistance to small businesses and non-profit organizations that have been adversely affected by economic conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
More information and Applications are available for download today at smallbizhub.columbiacountyoregon.com All applications are due by midnight, Saturday October 17 , 2020.
New changes and eligibility
The three new changes in the grant program are extremely important, according to Paul Vogel, CCET Executive Director. “In the first round, if you’d received PPP or EIDL funding, you couldn’t apply for a state grant. The rules have been changed, and that’s very welcome important news for many Columbia County businesses,” Vogel said. Also, the grant award opportunity has been increased, applicants may receive up to $50,000 if they qualify,” Vogel added.
CARES Act recipients that received $100,000 or more are not eligible, however, according to the new rules. Grants of $5,000 and above are now available to small businesses that have received less than $100,000 in federal relief. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees are eligible if they were either forced to shut down by state order or can demonstrate a 25% drop in gross revenue in a given month between March and August of 2020, compared to the same month 2019. Documenting revenue reductions is necessary for successful applicants.
CCET, Col-Pac and the County already completed one round of grant awards, distributing checks for nearly $225,000 in August. Vogel pointed out that those same grant recipients also are eligible to apply anew. “We were glad to be able to get critical money out to applicants in Round 1. Those applicants can apply again, using a short-form, streamlined supplemental application that’s also available on our website,” Vogel said
According to the state program small businesses and some non-profits are eligible if they are:
Located In Columbia County
Registered in Oregon
Current/compliant on taxes
Adversely impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 crisis
25 or fewer employees as of February 29, 2020
25% or more reduction to sales as a result of the COVID -19 crisis
Federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profits
“This is critical, flexible money that business owners can put to immediate use in adapting their business, retaining employees, any number of things that will help them adjust, navigate, recover, stay open and maintain resilience,” Vogel added.
Apply immediately
“Col-Pac is pleased to work with Business Oregon and CCET to make these funds available to our small businesses in Columbia County, but it’s important to note that this $500,000 is for our entire region, including Clatsop, Tillamook and western Washington Counties, said Ayreann Colombo, Executive Director of Col-Pac. “There is more money available from the state if we commit all of this, but that puts a premium on business-owners immediately filing applications, just as soon as possible,” Colombo added. “We hope that these grants as well as other important services will help our business owners and communities continue to find their footing through this public health and economic crisis.”
Eligible applications will be reviewed for potential funding and notified if a grant award will be made. Grant checks will be available by November 15th.
Application Now Available Online
Grant applications can be downloaded at CCET’s Smallbizhub website: smallbizhyb.columbiacountyoregon.com. All applications must be submitted by Saturday, October 17 at midnight. Businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. If the total amount of grant funds requested exceeds the available funds, a random selection process will be conducted to determine grant awardees.
More help for small businesses
This small business grant fund is yet another program currently underway through CCET. CCET also is hosting an eight-week small business workshop series, “COVID Business Tune-Up,” one hour per week each Monday from 12 noon – 1:00 p.m., October 12 – November 30th. The workshops are offered online to a maximum of 50 people. Attendees also will have access to the recorded sessions to refer to later. Each participant will be asked to submit a feedback card at the conclusion of each session that will help develop future workshops of interest to you. Registration is online at smallbizhub.columbiacountyoregon.com and must be received BY October 11.
Through generosity of sponsors, the entire series carries a discounted price of $50. Those who attend all 8 sessions will be eligible for a $200 grant for local goods and services. The COVID Business Tune-Up workshop series is presented in partnership by CCET, Wauna Credit Union, South County Chamber of Commerce, Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce, Rainier Chamber of Commerce, and Keep It Local Columbia County.
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Columbia County Economic Team (CCET), is comprised of local governments and private businesses that drive countywide collaboration to retain and grow our businesses, and also recruit new companies that will feed a balanced economy. By necessity, CCET is right at ground-level during this pandemic: focusing on small business with our daily news and resource posts; small business website; collaborations throughout the county; accessing grant, material and loan funds for small business; providing low-cost PPE, and more. With our regional and state partners, we’re actively recruiting businesses that even now are looking to use this historic disruption to make even more change by expanding or relocating, positioning their company for the new and forever-altered future in a new place that we’re fortunate to already call home.
“Keep It Local” Columbia County
Keep It Local Columbia County is CCET program-driven community leaders, business owners, and community organizations that have come together to spearhead to promote our local businesses as community assets, support economic development, and ensure economic vitality for businesses and organizations throughout Columbia County, Oregon. Keep It Local Columbia County’s goal is to help citizens find the true value in a successful range of local businesses and to promote shopping locally whenever possible in order to sustain healthy and economically balanced communities.
The Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District
The Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District (Col-Pac) is a private non-profit organization established to assist in diversifying and strengthening the economy and livability of Northwest Oregon. The District covers all of Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties and the western part of Washington County.
Paul Vogel, Executive Director, M: 503.805.5139 [email protected]
