Schuylkill County businesses have received more than a quarter-million dollars in COVID grants. And there’s still time to apply if your business hasn’t already gotten in on the funding.
Awards up to $15,000 are still available, according to NEPA Alliance, which is administering the grant program on behalf of Schuylkill County Commissioners.
The money for the grants from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation the county received from the CARES Act legislation of 2020.
“NEPA Alliance is please to work with the Schuylkill County Commissioners on this valuable economic development initiative for businesses in Schuylkill County,” NEPA Alliance president and CEO Jeffrey Box says in a statement Tuesday.
COVID Business Grants Still Available in Schuylkill County
The CARES Act was passed soon after the start of the COVID pandemic. This money is in addition to the CARES Act funding the County and several municipalities received back in 2020 for help dealing with the pandemic and the economic devastation caused by government restrictions on business.
So far, 22 businesses in Schuylkill County have gotten awards from the program. The money must be used for prevention, preparation, and response to the COVID pandemic.
The money awarded is actually a loan but is 100% forgiven (meaning, it becomes a grant that doesn’t have to be repaid) if the money is spent per the rules of the program.
Businesses in Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven aren’t eligible to apply for this particular grant program. Each municipality has its own business grant program.
Businesses that are eligible can have a maximum of 20 employees. For more rules and how to apply, go to the NEPA Alliance website.
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