Carroll Rebound Grant Expands Eligibility and Deadline

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

For Immediate Release

Carroll Rebound Grant Changes Definition of Sole Proprietor
Application Deadline Extended to July 31^st

Westminster, MD, Friday, July 10, 2020 – Yesterday in Open Session, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted to expand the Carroll Rebound grant program for small businesses and nonprofits to include all eligible sole proprietors who operate in a commercial or industrial zone. Any sole proprietors who applied for Carroll Rebound but were declined due to employment do NOT need to reapply. These applications will be reviewed under the new criteria.

The commissioners also approved extending the deadline for the Carroll Rebound program from July 15^th to July 31, 2020.

The Carroll Rebound application portal now closes on Friday, July 31^st 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.

Full time employees are counted as working 30+ hours per week. Accordingly, grants will be awarded as follows:

• Sole proprietors, with or without employees, up to $2,500
• Businesses with less than two full-time equivalent employees, up to $2,500
• Businesses with 2-10 full-time equivalent employees, up to $5,000
• Businesses with 11-50 full-time equivalent employees, up to $8,000

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 sole proprietors and 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 (if required to do so by law)
• Have a physical location in a Carroll County commercial or industrial zoning district (exception – tourism venues or agribusiness operations)
• 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.

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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