Essex County Small Biz Can Get Up To $30K To Help Survive COVID – Patch.com

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Small businesses in Essex County that need a helping hand during the coronavirus pandemic can apply for up to $30,000 in aid as part of a new emergency grant, officials announced Tuesday.

Essex County is allocating $9 million to create the Essex County Small Business Lease Emergency Assistance Grant. The funding is designed to help small businesses and nonprofit agencies in Essex County that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 to pay their rent, officials said.

Essex County businesses and nonprofit agencies will be able to apply for as much as a $30,000 grant. Essex County is partnering with the NJ Redevelopment Authority to administer the program.

The willing participation of the landlord is necessary for the application and the landlord must verify he or she will accept payment from Essex County. Residents and landlords also must affirm that funding assistance has not been received from other sources that would create a duplication of benefits. When an application is approved, the payment will be made directly to the landlord.

Applications will be available beginning Monday, Nov. 16 at the Essex County Office of Small Business Development website at www.ecsmallbiz.org. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

A webinar to explain the application process will be presented Friday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. Registration for the webinar is required. To register, click here.

According to county officials, Essex County is funding the Small Business Lease Emergency Assistance Grant with money it received from the federal CARES Act.

  • Applicants must be tenants leasing commercial space in mixed-used buildings, tenants leasing commercial space in commercial buildings, or storefront businesses that lease their space
  • To be eligible, the applicant’s leased premises must be no more than 7,500 square feet of leasable space. Priority will be given to leased premises of 5,000 square feet or less.
  • Applicants do not have to be delinquent on their lease payments. As a small business owner, the applicant may have exhausted all of their savings to avoid closing their business.
  • Businesses that are engaged in gambling or “adult” activities, auction sales, Christmas tree sales, tattoo parlors, smoke shops and liquor stores aren’t eligible

Essex County officials said that eligible applicants will need to provide:

  • A current copy of their lease
  • Certification from the tenant confirming a closing date due to the pandemic
  • A copy of a current NJ tax clearance certificate
  • Answers to debarment questions included in the application
  • Verification from the landlord that the business is in good standing with monthly lease obligations prior to March 1, 2020

“Small businesses form the backbone of our local economy and nonprofit organizations provide a vital safety net of social services for our residents,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “Both have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus and both need our help to be able to economically survive.”

Essex County Board of Commissioner President Brendan Gill said the program will help businesses keep their doors open and allow landlords to continue to pay property taxes on the buildings where they are based.

But it will also help local residents to continue patronizing businesses that are part of the fabric of their communities, Gill added.

Board of Commissioner Vice President Wayne Richardson also lauded the new program.

“The creation of the Small Business Lease Emergency Grant program, which will help small businesses remain open and vibrant, shows our commitment to continue assisting the residents and businesses of our community through the pandemic,” Richardson said.

He pointed out that earlier this month, the county began taking applications for the Essex County Coronavirus Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which helps residents stay in their homes and avoid eviction.

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