LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County Commission support creating three economic development grant programs that could help more than 2,800 local small businesses recover from financial hardships brought on by coronavirus-related restrictions.
Qualifying businesses may receive help for a variety of expenses that include, but not limited to, paying rent, utilities or payroll, or for virus-related improvements such as installing additional hand-washing stations, no-touch doors, and walk-up windows.
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Restrictions and requirements vary slightly for each program, but all of them require participating businesses to be based in Clark County, have a local business license, and have 20 or fewer employees.
The county grant programs are expected to provide more than $19 million to local businesses through individual grants up to $5,000 or $10,000 each.
“Some small businesses have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus,” Commissioner Justin Jones said. “These programs will help local businesses stabilize their finances and stay open.”
The three grant programs are the Small Business Stabilization Grant, the Small Business Rental Assistance Program, and the Small Business Protective Retrofit Grant.
Applications for the Small Business Stabilization Grant will be available on the County’s website, and applications for the other programs will be online by the end of June.
The Small Business Stabilization Grant will provide up to $5,000 or $10,000, depending upon how many employees the business has to help cover costs such as rent, utilities, inventory, payroll, and other expenses.
Businesses that apply for and receive a Stabilization Grant will not be allowed to receive funding from the other two grant programs.
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The Small Business Rental Assistance program will provide up to $10,000 to cover past-due rent. The money would be paid directly to the landlord.
The Small Business Protective Retrofit Grant will reimburse businesses up to $5,000 for costs such as purchasing personal protective equipment for employees and installing no-touch doors and walk-up windows.
More information is also available here.