Applications Accepted Beginning December 7
The Bucyrus Area Small Business Relief Grant will provide Crawford County, Ohio small businesses (25 or fewer employees) with some monetary relief from business interruption costs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible small business may receive up to $10,000 in the form of non-repayable grants to be used for the reimbursement of certain expenses, as defined below.
Applications are available in the Bucyrus Chamber office, located at 117 E. Mansfield St., Bucyrus or on the Chamber website at bucyrusohio.com. Applications are to be emailed to [email protected] or returned to the Chamber office with all required documents, and will be accepted beginning Monday, December 7. The application deadline is DECEMBER 17.
APPLICATON & ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
- Must be a for-profit small business located in Crawford County.
- This can be evidenced by mortgage statements, utility bills, insurance statements, property tax bills, etc.
- Must have a Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (FEIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) for Sole Proprietor.
- Must have been in operation since March 1, 2020.
- This can be evidenced, at a minimum, by: (a) filing(s) with the Ohio Secretary of State, such as articles of incorporation or other registration documents along with an Ohio Secretary of State Certificate of Good Standing; (b) an Ohio vendor’s license; (c) Federal schedule C – Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship, etc.); (d) any other documents that demonstrate that the business has been in operation as a for-profit entity since March 1, 2020.
- Business cannot be permanently closed.
- Business must meet size standards used to define small business concerns set by the SBA. The table of size standards can also be found online in the small business size regulations set forth in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
- This can be evidenced by submitting documentation such as prior year income tax returns and/or annual or monthly profit/loss statements for the prior year.
- Must have 25 or fewer employees.
- This can be evidenced by forms such as 2019 Form W-3 (Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statement) or 2019 Form 1096 (Annual Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns) and payroll reports or checks that evidence number of workers as of March 1, 2020 or a statement attesting/certifying that your business has no employees/workers or 1099 workers if sole proprietor.
- Has not been approved or likely approved for a business interruption insurance or other claim as a result of COVID-19 public health emergency.
- Must attest to its compliance with federal, state, or county and local regulations applicable to its type of business, including tax payments and code enforcement.
- Must be able to attest that it is not currently in bankruptcy.
- A business is NOT eligible to apply for Grant Funds under the Bucyrus Area Small Business Relief Program if it primarily operates as one of the following:
- Adult entertainment establishment
- Banks, savings and loan or credit unions
- E-commerce only company
- Franchised business not locally owned and independently operated
- Clubs or Service Organization
- Place of worship, non-profits
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES:
Grant funds provided by the Bucyrus Area Small Business Relief Program can only be used to pay the expenses of the business (a) related to the costs of business interruption caused by required closures; or (b) costs the business faced due to its uncertainty as to its ability to pay due to the pandemic. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Mortgage costs. Mortgage costs for businesses that are located in or operated out of a personal residence are not an eligible expense.
- Rent or lease costs. Rent or lease cost for businesses that are located in or operated out of a personal residence are not an eligible expense.
- Expenses for utilities, such as electric, gas, sewer, water, trash removal. Utility cost for businesses that are located in or operated out of personal residence are not an eligible expense.
- Salaries, wages or compensation paid to employees/workers or 1099 workers.
- Materials and supplies related to interruption of the business caused by required closures.
- Personal Protective Equipment or other COVID-19 related costs such as expenses related to compliance with Responsible Restart Ohio.
All grant funds distributed as a part of this program must be spent within 180 calendar days of receipt. Grant funds can be used to reimburse eligible expense incurred from March 23, 2020 to the date of the grant application.
Along with the grant application, a business must timely provide upon request an itemized list of all expenditures along with supporting documentation. Documentation must be in the form of paid invoices and canceled checks, bank statements, or similar documentation showing payment of eligible expense. If a business is awarded grant funds, its grant application will serve as an executed grant agreement.
INELIGIBLE EXPENSES:
- Cost of vehicle or equipment leased or purchased after March 23, 2020.
- Personal, non-business expenses of the business or its owner(s).
- Construction costs.
- Any tax, license, or fee obligations payable to any government entity.
PROCESS:
1. Application:
A business that is interested in participation in the program must complete an application to determine if it meets all the eligibility criteria set forth above. Grant funds can be used to reimburse eligible expenses incurred from March 23, 2020 through the date of application for grant funds. Applications must be fully completed and contain all required supporting documentation.
Applications can be submitted by email to [email protected] or returned to the Chamber office beginning at 8:00 am on December 7, 2020 through midnight on December 17, 2020.
For questions regarding the application process, please email [email protected].
2. Documentation Submission and Review:
After an application is submitted, it will be reviewed to determine whether it meets the required eligibility criteria. A Grant Review Committee consisting of a representative from the Board of Commissioners, representatives from the Board of Directors from each Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from two other Crawford County organizations will review and verify the documents. If the application meets all eligible criteria, the committee will recommend the business receive a grant under this program. The committee may recommend a grant award of less than the total amount requested.
3. Payment and Signed Agreement:
If approved, the completed grant application will serve as a signed grant agreement.
If awarded, all Grant funding distributed as a part of this program must be spent within 180 calendar days of receipt. Grant funds can be used to reimburse eligible expenses incurred from March 23, 2020 through end of 2020.
4. Maintenance of Records:
Businesses who receive funds shall keep records of all specific expenses for which the funds were used for a period of five (5) years from the final expenditure of received funds. These records shall include but not be limited to paid invoices, cancelled checks, payroll records and other documentation acquired when the permissible expense occurred.
Upon request, the business shall provide access to these records to the State of Ohio, its agencies, agents, directors, and/or any party who has contracted with the State for the exclusive purposes of evaluating or ensuring compliance with CARES Act or grant requirements.
At their own expense, the business shall prepare photocopies of all of requested records to the State or any of the aforementioned parties upon written request of the State within a reasonable time of the request. Failure to abide by the requirement may result in a demand for the business to repay SBRG funds to the State of Ohio within thirty days of a written request for repayment.
5. Certifications and Public Record:
5.1 Certifications of Applicant:
By providing the signature of a duly authorized representative on an application, an applicant is certifying to the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) and the Board of Commissioners, Crawford County that each of the certifications on Page 3 of the application is true as of the date of signature and that each of the documents submitted is a real and true copy of records of the applicant business. By providing a signature on an application, the applicant also acknowledges that any person who knowingly makes a false statement to obtain an award of financial assistance may be required under Section 9.66(C) of the Revised Code to repay such financial assistance and shall be ineligible for any future economic development assistance from the State of Ohio, any state agency, or political subdivisions. Also, any person who provides a false statement to secure economic development assistance may be guilty of falsification, a misdemeanor of the first degree, pursuant to Section 2921.13(F)(1) of the Revised Code.
5.2 Public Records:
Information, documents, or other materials submitted to BACC as part of an application are public records unless a statutory exception exists under Section 149.43 of the Revised Code or other relevant law that exempts the information, document, or other material from public release.
