(Clark County, NV) Local small business owners affected by the ongoing pandemic and related closures may qualify for thousands of dollars in free financial assistance from the County.
Beginning today, applications may be submitted for the second round of the County’s Small Business Stabilization Grant, which awards local businesses up to $5,000 or $10,000 each (the maximum depends upon how many employees the business has). The funding does not need to be repaid and may be used for working capital to cover general expenditures such as rent, utilities, inventory or payroll.
To qualify for this grant a business must be based in unincorporated Clark County, have a Clark County business license and have 20 or fewer employees. Business owners who unsuccessfully applied for these funds in June are encouraged to apply again as some eligibility provisions have changed. Also, businesses that received funding from a County grant earlier this year may apply for this second round of funding.
Additional information about the grant qualifications and the application are available through the County Community and Economic Development website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/EconomicDevelopment. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 29.
“Thousands of small businesses here and across the country are barely hanging on,” Commission Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick said. “This program is an investment in our community that will keep businesses open and people working.”
“Empty storefronts and unemployed workers are terrible for neighborhoods and tragic for the affected families,” Commissioner Michael Naft said. “By supporting small businesses when they need it most, we can ease their financial strain and help save the jobs that support thousands of families in Southern Nevada.”
“The County was able to help more than 500 local small businesses through our grant programs earlier this year, and we hope to double that number during this second round,” Commissioner James B. Gibson said. “People who have never needed assistance before may desperately need it now. So please, apply for this financial lifeline and help us help you keep your doors open and your employees on the payroll.”
Earlier this summer, the County distributed over $2 million to more than 500 businesses through small business grant programs aimed at assisting those hurt by the pandemic. Funding for the grant programs comes from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) CARES Act. Commissioners visited J Gursey Coffee Roasters, which was awarded a County small business grant earlier this year, today to announce that second-round grant applications are now available.
Clark County has partnered with the Nevada Small Business Development Center at UNLV for those who may need assistance with the application process. The Nevada Small Business Development Center at UNLV is online at www.unlv.edu/sbdc and can be reached at (702) 895-5019.
