Small Business Relief Grant now accepting applications to assist with COVID-19 related expenses

ST. GEORGE — The City of St. George is accepting applications to award funding through the Small Business Relief Grant to small businesses that have lost revenue and incurred unanticipated expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have been listening,” said St. George Mayor Jon Pike. “When the City received CARES Act funding, we immediately began exploring how it could best be used to benefit our small businesses.”

The City released a survey in August to gauge the need in the business community and help set the parameters for a grant program. More than 400 companies responded. Of those, 71% reported revenue loss, including 18.45% with more than 75% revenue loss since March 1, 2020. 68% of the respondents indicated they would apply for a COVID-19 relief grant through the City, and 12% reported they were not aware of other federal and state relief grants.

“With so much federal and state funding available, we wanted to understand the needs of businesses that may be falling into funding gaps,” said Shirlayne Quayle, Director of Economic Development and Housing for the City of St. George. “The survey helped us accomplish that.”

For-profit and not-for-profit businesses in the City of St. George with 50 or fewer FTE employees and documented revenue loss of at least $500 since March 1, 2020, can apply. Eligible expenses incurred due to COVID-19 from March 1 through August 31, 2020, can be reimbursed up to $25,000. A business that has received prior CARES Act funding from a federal, state, or local source may still apply, so long as the Small Business Relief Grant request does not overlap in uses or time period with other CARES Act funding.

“We have worked hard to ensure this grant offers meaningful support to small businesses who are still suffering,” said Quayle. “Helping them finish 2020 and move into 2021 stronger than expected is this program’s primary goal.”

To qualify for the City of St. George Small Business Relief Grant, a business must:

●       Have an active City of St. George business license as of March 1, 2020

●       Employ 50 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, including the owner(s)

●       Provide documentation verifying revenue loss of at least $500 for grant period March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020

●       Have NOT already received CARES Act funding for the same uses and time period from any federal, state, or local source for COVID-19 related expenses

●       Provide documentation verifying eligible CARES Act expenditures

Application instructions can be found at sgcity.org/covidreliefgrant. Applications will be accepted through Friday, October 23, 2020 and reviewed in the order they are received.