Additional $50 million Available for Small Businesses

An additional $50 million in aid has been made available to Washington businesses. Apply by December 11!

On December 8, Gov. Jay Inslee announced additional economic supports of $50 million for workers and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total for Round 3 Working Washington Small Business Grants to $100 million. The additional money, doubles the number of Washington small businesses that will receive aid.

Applications for up to $20,000 in emergency funding opens early this week.

Industries recently shut down, such as restaurants and fitness centers, as well as businesses that have been devastatingly impacted throughout the pandemic, like music and event venues, have been prioritized, including:

• Small businesses with annual revenues of $5 million or less in 2019

AND

Businesses in the sectors that are most impacted by the recent public health measures or sectors that have experienced significant, cumulative impacts. Examples include full-service restaurants, fitness centers, bowling alleys and music and event venues.

• Certain nonprofits may also be eligible if they have a primary business activity that falls into a similar category as noted above. Example – a nonprofit full-service restaurant or nonprofit music venue.
• If Commerce is able to fund all the eligible applicants from the priority pool, and funds remain, we may be able to provide grants to additional businesses or nonprofits from other sectors or who have annual revenues larger than $5 million.
• 
  

Round 3 Working Washington Small Business Grants will be awarded up to $20,000 and will cover:

• Expenses or costs incurred due to COVID-19 and that were necessary to continue business operations.

The application includes an eligibility checklist with the following criteria:

• The expense is connected to the COVID-19 emergency.
• The expense is “necessary” to continue business operations.
• The expense is not filling a short fall in government revenues. (i.e. taxes, licenses, state, county, federal and/or city fees)
• The Business will self–attest that the expense is not funded by any other funder, whether private, State or Federal.
• The business wouldn’t be requesting assistance with expenses if they had not been impacted COVID-19.
• The application has more detail regarding what expenses are covered by this grant.

The online application portal will open this week and a link to the application will appear on the Department of Commerce website: http://startup.choosewashingtonstate.com/working-washington-round-3/

Priority will be given to applications received by Dec. 11, 2020.