Carroll Rebound Coronavirus Relief Grants Open 6/24

For more information:
John T. Lyburn, Director of Economic Development
410-386-2070

For Immediate Release

Grant Application for Carroll Businesses and Nonprofits Available Soon

Westminster, MD, Monday, June 22, 2020 – The Carroll County Board of Commissioners announce Carroll Rebound, a program to be administered by the Carroll County Department of Economic Development, which will provide grants to eligible businesses and nonprofits to assist in their recovery efforts.  The Carroll County Coronavirus Relief Fund Plan (CRF Plan) provides $4 million dollars for Carroll County to assist small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our business and non-profit communities continue to suffer the effects of COVID-19 and the economic downturn,” said Board of Commissioner Vice President Ed Rothstein. “Carroll Rebound uses Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars to provide direct support to our impacted small businesses and assist them as they stabilize and revitalize their enterprises.”

The Carroll Rebound application portal will open on Wednesday, June 24th at 3:00 pm and close on Wednesday, July 15th at 5:00 pm. Grant applications will be reviewed by an internal team with awards based on need and the pandemic’s impact on the business or nonprofit operations, until funding is exhausted. Grants will be awarded up to $2,500 for sole proprietors, up to $5,000 for nonprofits, and up to $5,000 (2-10 full-time equivalent employees), and up to $8,000 (11-50 FTE employees).

Eligibility for businesses and nonprofits is different as described below; both must apply online at https://carrollbiz.org/carrollrebound and meet the following conditions to be considered for the grant.

Eligible businesses must:

• Have been established prior to September 1, 2019
• Be a for-profit entity registered and in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County
• Have a physical location in a Carroll County commercial or industrial zoning district
• Be a sole proprietor or employ a minimum of two (2) full-time equivalent (FTE) employees who are not owners or part-owners, and a maximum of 50 FTE employees, defined at 30+ hours per week
• Be current on all taxes owed to Carroll County and/or the State of Maryland

Ineligible businesses:

• Private/trade schools
• Faith-based organizations
• Home-based businesses
• Real estate holding companies
• Independent contractors (including realtors, hair stylists, multi-level marketing, etc.)
• National/regional chains and publicly traded companies/franchises

Eligible nonprofits must:

• Be 501(c)(3) nonprofits
• Have been established prior to September 1, 2019
• Employ a minimum of one (1) full-time equivalent (FTE) employee and a maximum of 50 FTE employees, defined at 30+ hours per week

Ineligible nonprofits:

• Churches (See IRS 1828)
• Fraternal and/or civic organizations
• Homeowners Associations
• Labor Unions
• Private or Political Foundations
• Volunteer Fire Companies (will be addressed through the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association)

Eligible grant uses include the following: information technology upgrades and e-commerce programs, marketing, employee training, commercial cleaning, professional services, equipment or vehicle expenses and other COVID-19 business and health-related expenses e.g. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), supplies, plexiglass shields, masks, etc.

Ineligible fund uses include wages, lease or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, and  expenses not related to COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

Businesses that applied and were awarded a grant from the Carroll County Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund or any other local, state, federal grant programs are eligible to apply, although a listing of previous grant awards will be required as part of the application. Applicants will be required to provide financial and employment verification documents and, if awarded, sign a grant agreement, and provide an IRS W-9 and an Electronic Transfer Fund form.

“Carroll County has been blessed to have the community resources including local, state, and federal grant funding available to support our small businesses and nonprofits in their time of need. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in these extraordinary times,” stated Carroll County Economic Development Director Jack Lyburn.

“The ongoing business challenges due to the pandemic and resulting business disruption will only be met by our community and our community partners, like BGE, coming together to support our small businesses in their time of need. We are grateful for BGE’s generous contribution to Carroll businesses at this time”, stated Carroll County Economic Development Director Jack Lyburn.

If you have Carroll Rebound program questions, please email info@carrollbiz.org.

Interested businesses should sign up for Carroll Connect and Carroll County Economic Development e-news and watch for information via the Department of Economic Development website at https://carrollbiz.org. No-cost business counseling is also available through the Carroll County Small Business Development Center – please visit https://www.marylandsbdc.org/locations/northern-region to connect with a counselor for further business assistance.

About Carroll County Department of Economic Development
The Carroll County Department of Economic Development is a results-oriented team that creates competitive business solutions. To learn more about the programs or opportunities available in Carroll County email info@carrollbiz.org, visit https://carrollbiz.org, follow @CarrollEconDev on Twitter or call 410-386-2070.

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