City of San Antonio Launches Covid-19 Recovery Grant Program for Small Businesses, Nonprofits
July 14, 2020 - San Antonio
Helping small businesses during tough times. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and will be critical to our recovery from the economic effects of Covid-19,” said District 3 San Antonio City Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran on Monday. Photo: Jade Esteban Estrada.
By Jade Esteban Estrada - Staff Writer, San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- LiftFund and the City of San Antonio have partnered to provide grants to small businesses and nonprofits that have been financially impacted by Covid-19
- The application period is from July 13-27 with $24.7 million available
- Grants will be awarded in August and range from $10,000 to $75,000 depending on the number of individuals a business or nonprofit employs
In partnership with the nonprofit organization LiftFund, the City of San Antonio announced Monday that it would utilize funding provided from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, to provide monetary assistance in the form of grants to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have been financially impacted by Covid-19.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and will be critical to our recovery from the economic effects of Covid-19,” said District 3 Councilwoman and Chair of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee Rebecca Viagran. “This program will provide support and help alleviate any cost burdens to our small businesses and nonprofits as they reopen their doors safely and continue to navigate during this time.”
The grant program is an initiative of the Covid-19 Community Recovery and Resiliency Plan, which San Antonio City Council approved last month.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges and disruptions to small businesses and nonprofit organizations across San Antonio,” said City Manager Erik Walsh. “These grants will provide relief to those struggling financially to help our economy recover and emerge stronger than before.”
The grant application period began Monday and closes on July 27, 2020 with $24.7 million available. LiftFund will administer the grants and all completed applications will be reviewed for basic eligibility.
Grant eligibility is as follows:
Grant applicant must be authorized representative of business or nonprofit organization
Businesses and nonprofits with 20 employees or less including full-time, part-time or contract employees
Annual gross business revenue or nonprofit organization’s board approved budget less than $2 million
Located within San Antonio city limits and must be willing to remain within boundaries for at least one calendar year from the date of grant award
Business and nonprofits must not be in the process of filing for bankruptcy
Demonstrate a loss of at least 15% of revenue for the period beginning March 1, 2020 due to negative impact related to the Covid-19 pandemic
Business or nonprofit must be established prior to August 1, 2019
Businesses or nonprofits that received a grant through the Bexar County LiftFund Program are ineligible for grant consideration
Commitment to the Greater. SAfer. Together. Pledge.
The following type of businesses are not eligible for consideration: professional services, such as certified public accountant, architect, landscape architect, land surveyor, physician, optometrist, engineer, real estate appraiser, attorney, interior design, veterinarian; gambling/gaming businesses; national franchises; sexually-oriented businesses; payday & auto loan providers; liquor stores and businesses in which a City employee or officer has a financial interest, as defined in Sec. 2-53 of the City’s Ethics Code.
Self-employed/sole proprietor applicants are eligible for up to $10,000 and businesses with 1-5 employees are eligible for up to $25,000. Businesses with 6-10 employees are eligible for up to $50,000 and outfits with 11-20 employees are eligible for up to $75,000.
For local community business organizations, Centro; San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE); the Westside Development Corporation (WDC); and Southside First, will be available to provide application assistance to eligible businesses.
Grants will be awarded in August. Eligible businesses or nonprofits can apply for the grants by going to the the City’s Covid-19 webpage or by calling 1-800-494-4973.
“Small businesses are vital to our local economy,” said Janie Barrera, president and CEO of LiftFund. “We are proud to partner with the City of San Antonio to provide relief grants to small businesses in our community and support them on their journey to recovery.”
To ensure that applicants understand the fine print, LiftFund is also offering five webinars to provide the community an overview of the grants program and application process. The webinars will be offered in English and Spanish.
The English sessions will be held on July 15, July 20, and July 22 from 11:00 am to noon. Registration is available here. The Spanish sessions will be held on July 15 and July 20 from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Registration is available here.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer at the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. He can be reached at jade@sasentinel.com.