Deadline: 31-May-22
The Business Oregon is offering grants under “Emergency Small Business & Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program” to help businesses remain solvent through the COVID-19 crisis.
The Oregon State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, administered by the Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon), receives an annual allocation of federal funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In addition, Business Oregon has received CDBG Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Objectives
To assist Small Business/Micro-Enterprise to:
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Avoid job loss, enable retention/creation of jobs held by low- and moderate-income persons caused by small business closures related to social distancing by providing:
- Short-term working capital assistance to small businesses
- Technical assistance to assist in business redesign, new online marketing platform, and all assistance necessary to remain in operation through the COVID-19 crisis.
- Provide technical assistance, grants, and other financial assistance to establish, stabilize, and expand micro-enterprises that are impacted by COVID-19.
- Carry out job training for LMI workers in the communities affected by coronavirus-related job loss since January 2020 to revitalize affected labor force and business sector.
Funding Information
- Up to 10 percent of the grant award, but not more than $35,000.
- The maximum CDBG grant in this category is up to $100,000 (per city for no more than five cities per service region) or up to $500,000 per county.
- All activities must be completed and the Project Completion Report submitted within 12 months from contract execution.
Eligibility Criteria
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The non-entitlement city/county grant recipient must sub-grant the funds to one of the following non-profit organizations:
- For Small Business Assistance: a statewide or local economic development non-profit organization certified and experienced in providing/administering small business financing programs (including but not limited to EDA, SBA, USDA, CDFI).
- For micro-enterprises businesses: secure services of a micro-enterprise support organization experienced in providing/administering small business/micro-enterprise financing programs.
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The nonprofit must meet the following requirements of a sub-grantee:
- Documentation from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that certifies the nonprofit organization is organized as a nonprofit or a certified Community Development organization.
- Documentation that the organization must have as one of its primary purposes (as outlined in its bylaws, article of incorporation or charter) to provide financial assistance to small businesses.
- Provide a copy of their program implementation plan and process such as:
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Application criteria
- Underwriting and award criteria, including a copy of the application used for emergency assistance.
- Performance report
- Duplication of Benefit Prevention policy and procedure that include at a minimum:
- A requirement that any person or entity receiving CDBG-CV assistance (including direct beneficiaries) must agree to repay assistance that is determined to be duplicative; and
- A method of assessing whether the use of CDBG-CV funds will duplicate financial assistance that is already received or is likely to be received by acting reasonably to evaluate need and the resources available to meet that need.
- The sub-granted nonprofit must comply with all CDBG requirements.
- The sub-granted nonprofit must be the grantor of all grants and owner of all the grant agreements/contracts with the small business or microenterprise.
For more information, visit Business Oregon.
For more information, visit https://www.oregon.gov/biz/programs/CDBG/Pages/Community_Development_Block_Grant_Cares_Act_Funded.aspx