The Cities of Redding, Shasta Lake, and Anderson, the County of Shasta, and The Redding Chamber of Commerce to Provide COVID-19 Relief Grants for Local Micro-Enterprise Businesses.
The Cities of Redding, Shasta Lake, and Anderson, and the County of Shasta, in partnership with the Redding Chamber of Commerce, are excited to announce a special COVID-19 Relief Grant Program for Micro-Enterprise Businesses. The program is designed to provide $5,000 in grant funding to about 140 of the smallest businesses in the greater community – those that were likely hit the hardest during the pandemic. To qualify for the grant program, a business must have five or fewer employees, including the business owner, and must be a for-profit business that operates within Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson, or the outlying areas of Shasta County.
The program, funded by Community Development Block Grant Funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will disperse more than $1 million in combined funding to businesses in the community. This money will help to ensure that some of the smallest local businesses will survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding must contribute to a micro-enterprise’s ability to remain open and retain employees. Working capital can be used for a commercial mortgage, rent, and other accounts-payable and utility-based bills, employee wages, resources needed to establish or revamp an online presence, or replace perishable inventory that was lost due to the interruption of business.
There are specific guidelines and requirements that must be met for a business to be eligible for this Micro-Enterprise Business Grant. Details on the requirements can be found at:
www.cityofredding.org/covid19-business-grant-application.
Generally speaking, the business must:
- Be a brick and mortar location or home-based business that provide goods or services in Shasta County.
- Have five employees or less, including the business owner.
- Have been negatively affected by COVID-19.
- Submit applications, documentation, tax and payroll information for approval.
- Not have received a PPP loan or other SBA disaster funding, including an EIDL in the amount of $5,000 or more during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Retain at least one full-time employee that could be the business owner, who would have otherwise been laid off, for at least one year.
Eligible businesses can apply after July 1st. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received. Grants will be awarded beginning in August, until all funds are expended.
