CP Connect

COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program Application

The COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program (CDBG-CV) is developed to support small businesses and to avoid job loss caused by business restrictions and closure due to COVID-19 and to enable retention of jobs held by low-moderate (LMI) persons. Eligible applicants may complete the below application for consideration of a grant for up to $5,000. Please review the CDBG-CV guidelines to determine eligibility.

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Phone Number

SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM

The City of Hermitage, as a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (“DCED”) state entitlement city, made application to DCED on June 17, 2020 for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program (“CDBG-CV”) funding to establish a COVID-19 Disaster CDBG-CV “Small Business Grant Program” to support small business and to provide assistance due to business interruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) funding is provided through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) CDBG-CV to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

The COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program is developed to support small businesses and to avoid job loss caused by business restrictions and closure related to social distancing and to enable retention of jobs held by low-moderate income (LMI) persons. The applicant must provide documentation for LMI job creation/retention.

The City of Hermitage staff worked with the DCED staff to prepare for the receipt of the additional CDBG-CV funds and researched the possibility of delivery of “Special Economic Development Assistance” to businesses in the form of a program to provide grant assistance to small businesses for job retention for low-moderate income (LMI) persons. The program targets retail, specialty retail and restaurant sectors and can provide assistance for payroll, rent, mortgages, utilities, and advertising, as well as provide business assistance to make necessary modifications to comply with recommended social distancing practices. Under the business assistance program, businesses must prove they experienced disruption due to the Coronavirus crisis, must provide evidence (in the form of financial statements, tax returns and/or proforma statements) of viability before the COVID-19 crisis, document jobs retained and LMI benefit, and meet pre-established small business criteria. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented disaster and the future economic recovery is unpredictable the CDBG grantees are responsible for determining the business viability of the applicants and establish an underwriting process for the business assistance program. The Hermitage Community and Economic Development Commission (HCEDC) Project Review Committee is responsible for the grant program application review and underwriting responsibilities.

Applications that do not meet the HUD and DCED CDBG-CV regulations and requirements and the small business grant program guidelines will not be considered. Upon review of the program guidelines eligible applicants may complete the below application for consideration.

Business Name

Business Address

Business EIN

Business Contact Person Name

Business Contact Email

Business Contact Phone Number

Do you certify the business had annual revenues (2019) less than $1,500,000?

If answered 'Yes' to the previous question, please provide your annual revenues for 2019

Do you certify the business annual employment level is less than 40 FTE (Full Time Equivalent)?

If answered 'Yes' to the previous question, please provide the number of FTE employees as of 2/15/2020

If the business can not certify 'Yes' to questions pertaining to annual revenues and FTE's, the business is not eligible for this program

Is the business a Microenterprise? Five or fewer employees (includes owner) in business or starting a business?

Please choose the description that best fits your business

If selected 'Other' in the previous question, please provide a brief description of your business (optional)

Please indicate the year the business started operations

Please indicate the year the business started operations at the current Hermitage address

Please provide a brief description of how the business experienced disruption due to the COVID-19 Crisis

Please certify how the grant funds will be used

Please list the amount of the grant request (not to exceed $5,000)

Duplication of Benefits. The CARES Act requires that are procedures in place to prevent Duplication of Benefits. Duplication of Benefits occurs when Federal financial assistance is provided through a program to address losses from a federally declared emergency or disaster and the person or entity has received financial assistance for the same costs from any other source.

Has the applicant / business received disaster assistance from any other sources?

If answered yes to the previous question, please certify that the funds requested through this application are not a “Duplication of Benefits”

By typing my initials below, I hereby certify that the applicant has read, understood and agrees to comply with the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act and the CDBG-CV program guidelines, including that the funds will be used to prevent, prepare for and respond to the impacts of the coronavirus and that documentation will be provided as evidence for job retention for low-moderate income (LMI) persons.

I acknowledge that the submission of additional information (such as financial statements, LMI documentation, Applicant Grant Funds Necessity Form, Employee HUD Income Verifications Form(s) etc.) will be required to make an eligibility determination.

Please type initials below

For questions or more information regarding the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program Applications, please contact:

Jeremy Coxe, Director, Planning & Development

(724) 981-0800 ext. 1265

jcoxe@hermitage.net

Link to Application Documents:

COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program Application Guidelines

HUD Income Verification Form/Grant Funds Necessity Form