Erie County issued the following announcement on Oct. 28.
Erie County in partnership with the Erie County Redevelopment Authority announces the launch of grant applications for the American Rescue Plan New Small Business program and the Local Shuttered Venue program. The federal government through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) awarded the County of Erie $52.4 million to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic and to help stimulate the Erie County economy. The County of Erie has developed the “Building a Better Future” branding to identify the programs which fall under the ARP initiatives. Among the programs the County of Erie has identified for immediate use are two small business grant programs.
The New Small Business Grant is designed to provide necessary relief to new Erie County small businesses established on or after January 1, 2020, that have been negatively impacted by the effects of COVID-19. Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper and Erie County Council have designated up to $150,000 of funding to provide grants of $5,000 – $10,000 to assist in ensuring the survival and stability of these crucial businesses. Dahlkemper and county council have determined that these grants are necessary to respond to the public health emergency by providing economic support to businesses harmed by the effects of COVID-19. The New Small Business Grant will be administered by the Erie County Redevelopment Authority (ECRDA).
The following criteria must be met for a new business to be eligible for consideration:
- The applicant business is a for-profit entity (corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietor with W2 employees).
- The applicant business started operations at a physical location in Erie County between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, and has the ability to continue operations as a going concern, taking into account a potential program grant.
- The applicant business is an employer firm with at least 2 but no more than 25 Erie County employees paid via W2 wages as of January 1, 2021, determined either by a headcount or full-time equivalent employee calculation.
- The applicant business has at least one physical location in Erie County.
- The applicant business has experienced revenue loss or incurred unplanned costs substantially caused by COVID-19 and a grant is necessary to help it recover from the impact of COVID-19.
- The applicant business must be current on all local, state and federal taxes.
The following criteria must be met for consideration:
- Must be an Erie County, Pennsylvania location
- Business must be in current operation
- Must have 2019 and 2020 business financials
- Must fall into one of the eligible NAICS (list located at www.ecrda.net)
- Applicants who have received the SBA Shuttered Venue Grant are NOT eligible
- Erie County LEAD Assets are NOT eligible (as defined by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority)
“Erie County continues to lead the way in supporting our small businesses and economy,” County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper said. “Working together with County Council has allowed us to take the lead in assisting our struggling businesses and steadily we are rebuilding Erie County to be stronger and more resilient.”
- Contact Erie County: Michelle Jaggi, mjaggi@eriecountypa.gov, 814-812-0089
- Contact Erie County Redevelopment Authority: Tina Mengine, tmengine@ecrda.net, 814-480-0337
Alerts Sign-up