Deadline: 02-Oct-20
The City of Blaine will offer a business relief grant program to support local businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The Blaine City Council has approved an emergency small business grant program that utilizes CARES Act dollars that have been provided to the city by the federal government.
Funding Information
- The amount of $500,000 has been allocated to the grant program which will be distributed in two different rounds with $250,000 available in each round.
- The maximum grant amount is $10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be locally owned, operated, and domiciled in the State of Minnesota with a physical establishment in the City of Blaine. If there is a parent company or a second location outside of the City of Blaine, only the entity located in Blaine will be eligible.
- Applicant must be in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Department of Revenue as of January 1, 2020. If there is an issue pending with the Minnesota Secretary of State, applicant may still apply for the grant, but will need to demonstrate the issue has been satisfactorily resolved in order to be eligible and receive grant funds.
- If required by either the state, county, or city, applicant must be licensed, in good standing.
- Applicant must be current on property taxes as of March 1, 2020.
- Applicant must employ 50 or less full time equivalent (FTE) employees as of January 1, 2020. This requirement is waived for nonprofit organizations.
- Applicant must disclose all federal, state, or local grant or loan applications for which applicant have applied which has been received or remains pending at the time of application.
- Applicant must certify in good faith that the uncertainty of current conditions makes the grant request necessary to support ongoing operations.
- Applicant may be a sole proprietor.
- Applicant may be a nonprofit organization.
Eligible Expenses
- Commercial lease or mortgage payments.
- Accounts payable (AP) if the AP is a COVID-19 related expense incurred since March 1, 2020.
- Payroll, unless the business received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds or pandemic unemployment insurance (UI) to cover the same period payroll expenses.
- Reopening costs or safety improvement costs expended since March 1, 2020 (i.e. outdoor seating, plexiglass, cleaning products, re-staffing costs, etc.)
- Non-government operating utilities or fees for those facilities interrupted or forced to shut down incurred after March 1, 2020.
- Costs associated with screening employees for COVID-19 upon business reopening.
Ineligible Businesses/Restrictions
- If an applicant receives any funding from a local city and the county, applicant may only accept one of the grants.
- Multi-state chains are generally ineligible except for locally owned franchisees.
- Businesses that primarily derive income from gambling, adult entertainment, pawned merchandise, guns.
- Home-based businesses, with the exception of daycare providers, are not eligible.
- Self-employed contractor or gig-worker eligible for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
- Businesses that derive income from passive investments; property rentals or property management; billboards; or lobbying.
- Units of government.
- Any business which has been debarred from doing business with the federal government.
- Payment of taxes or government utilities or fees are ineligible.
Applicant Requirements
Applicants must certify that:
- The funds will be used to retain workers, make fringe payments, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments, or other eligible expenditures as listed in the examples of eligible usage.
- That applicant met all of the eligibility requirements noted above and agrees to comply with the terms and conditions outlined in the online application.
- Applicant must retain documentation (e.g., invoices, payroll records, time-sheets, etc.) supporting qualifying expenditures incurred under this grant.
- By accepting the funds, applicant agrees to spend the funding on eligible expenditures listed below.
- Applicant has not received any federal, state or local grants for the same expenses.
For more information, visit https://www.blainemn.gov/2981/COVID-19-Business-Relief-Grant-Program