Brownwood News – The Early Municipal Development District (MDD) and the City of Early have developed a COVID-19 Small Business Support Grant Program. The Early MDD has allocated funds to the program and it will provide grants up to $2,500 for businesses that can show evidence that they have been significantly impacted by this pandemic.
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The grant is available to all non-home-based small businesses within the corporate city limits of the City of Early, Texas; however, priority will be given to businesses that have frequent and/or close contact with customers. Categories of eligible small businesses include: retail (storefront), restaurant/food business, personal care (barber shop, nail salons, spas, etc.), and small manufacturing businesses. Qualifications for the grant include, but are not limited to the following criteria:
- Must have a store-front location – home based businesses do not qualify.
- Must have 20 or less employees as of April 1, 2020.
- Must have current, and documented, revenue decline beginning March 1, 2020 attributable to the current pandemic.
- Must have a physical and publicly accessible location, within the city limits of Early in a commercial or manufacturing zoned property.
- Must have a valid certificate of occupancy.
- Must have been in continuous operation for a period of at least six months prior to the application date.
- Must be current on all City taxes, fees, and utility bills.
The Early MDD will take applications for the Small Business Support Grant through May 29th or until the allocated funds have been exhausted. The applications will be reviewed weekly and qualifying applications will be awarded accordingly. The program may be subject to a second round of funding in June 2020 should it be necessary and funds remain available.
Grant funds can be used for the following purposes and documentation of expenditures will be required:
- Building lease or mortgage payment, with documentation that landlord or licensed mortgage holder has refused assistance.
- Business loans, with documentation that the licensed mortgage holder has refused assistance.
- Utility payments
- Employee support not already covered by the Federal Payroll Protection Plan (payroll, insurance or paid leave)
- Critical business operations (supplies or raw material to continue operation under required conditions).
- Expenses associated with increased material costs to remain open.
- Purchase of COVID -19 supplies for business protection/cleaning
FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE GRANT PAGE on the City of Early website.