Ohio Small Business Grants Available Starting June 29

Jun 28, 2021

The Ohio Development Services Agency released eligibility information for a series of small business grants available starting Tuesday, June 29. Below you will find information regarding each of these grants including eligibility, qualifications, and fund usage.

Food & Beverage Establishment Grant
This program provides grants up to $30,000 to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food and drinking businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The dollar amount of each grant will be determined by the business’s loss of revenue in 2020.

  • Eligible businesses for this grant include food service contractors, caterers, mobile food services, bars, taverns, nightclubs, full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, cafeterias, coffee shops, and businesses that do not otherwise qualify for the Entertainment Venue Grant because they earn more than 50 percent of their revenue from the sale of food and/or beverages.
  • Eligible businesses must have experienced at least a 10 percent reduction in revenue in 2020 at one or more Ohio locations.
  • Grant funds can be used to reimburse eligible businesses for the following expenses relating to their Ohio business location as long as the costs do not violate state or federal law and are not otherwise specified as ineligible costs:
    • Personal protective equipment to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
    • Measures taken to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
    • Utility payments.
    • Mortgage or rent payments for business premises (personal residences explicitly excluded).
    • Salaries, wages, or compensation paid to contractors or employees, including an employer’s share of health insurance costs.
    • Business supplies or equipment

Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis under the guidelines outlined, here.

Lodging Grant
This program provides grants up to $30,000 to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast operations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The dollar amount of individual grants to qualifying businesses will be determined by the business’s decline in occupancy rate in 2020.

  • The business must have at least one Ohio location that has been in operation since at least Dec. 1, 2019, and must have a hotel/motel license from the Ohio Department of Commerce.
  • Businesses can be a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast.
  • The business must have experienced at least a 10%reduction in occupancy in 2020 as a result of COVID-19.
  • Grant funds can be used to reimburse eligible businesses for the following expenses not otherwise specified as ineligible costs:
    • Personal protective equipment to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
    • Measures taken to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
    • Utility payments
    • Business supplies or equipment.
    • Mortgage or rent payments for business premises (personal residences explicitly excluded).
    • Salaries, wages, or compensation paid to contractors or employees, including an employer’s share of health insurance costs

Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis under the guidelines outlined here.

New Small Business Grant
Grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses established between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, under this program.

  • The business must be a for-profit entity that started operations between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, and that has at least two and no more than 25 Ohio employees paid via W2 wages as of Jan. 1, 2021.
  • The business must have a physical location in Ohio and experienced revenue loss or unplanned costs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • A lengthy list of ineligible businesses includes those that previously received the Small Business Relief Grant; are a nonprofit entity; are publicly traded; are operated by a governmental agency or entity; are a club; are primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities or political issue advocacy; operate as a sexually oriented business; engage in conduct regulated by the Ohio Casino Control Commission or the Ohio State Racing Commission. A complete list can be found here.
  • Grant funds can be used to reimburse eligible businesses for the following expenses:
    • Personal protective equipment to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
    • Measures taken to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
    • Mortgage or rent payments for business premises (personal residences explicitly excluded).
    • Utility payments.
    • Salaries, wages, or compensation paid to contractors or employees, including an employer’s share of health insurance costs.
    • Business supplies or equipment.

Additional grants, including the Entertainment Venue Grant which provides up to $30,000 to theaters, music venues, spectator sports venues, museums, and other entertainment establishments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, are available through the Ohio Development Service Agency website.

What should I do next?
Beginning Tuesday, June 29, 2021, businesses can apply at BusinessHelp.Ohio.Gov. To access the application, individuals will be required to log in using an existing OH|ID or create a new OH|ID, which provides users with secure access to state of Ohio services and programs. For more information on creating an OH|ID, visit OHID.Ohio.Gov/. For help in creating an OH|ID account, click here.

After an application is approved, businesses also will be required to provide an Ohio Supplier ID assigned by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management. If the applicant business does not currently have an Ohio Supplier ID, the business will be required to register at Supplier.Ohio.Gov. A Supplier ID is required so that grant funds can be distributed by direct deposit.

If you require assistance or have general questions about your application, our team is ready to help. Contact our restaurant practice leader, Kristin Metzger below.

Connect With Us.

 

Kristin Metzger, CPA
Restaurant Practice Leader
kristin.metzger@wvco.com | 419.891.1040

Categories: COVID-19, Other Resources, Restaurant & Hospitality

New Ohio Relief Programs Approved To Help Families, Small Businesses & Restaurants/Bars

Oct 26, 2020

On Friday, October 23, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine approved several new programs aimed to provide much-needed relief to small businesses, restaurants/bars, and low-income families negatively impacted by COVID-19. These programs include:

Small Business Relief Grant – This program will designate up to $125 million of funding received by the State of Ohio from the federal CARES Act to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses with no more than 25 employees to help them through the current crisis. The program will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency. If you are a small business with no more than 25 employees, you can apply for one of the first-come, first-serve grants starting on November 2, 2020. Businesses can use the grants to pay for various expenses including mortgages, rent, utilities, salaries, health care premiums, business supplies, and other related operational costs. Click here to review the terms & conditions of the program. Ineligible businesses include, but are not limited to nonprofits, private schools, clubs, etc.

The Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund –  This program is designed to assist Ohio’s on-premise liquor permit holders. Governor Mike DeWine has designated $37.5 million of funding received by the State of Ohio from the federal CARES Act to provide $2,500 assistance payments to on-premise liquor permit holders to help them through the financial difficulties experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. These permit holders have not been able to fully use their liquor permit and it’s had an impact on their business. The program, which will begin accepting applications on November 2, 2020, will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency. Click here for more information on how to apply.

Home Relief Grant – Also accepting applications starting November 2, 2020, is the Home Relief Grant Program which will help eligible Ohioans who are behind on rent, mortgage, and water and/or sewer utility bills catch up on past payments back to April 1, 2020, and provide additional assistance through December 30, 2020. Ohioans can apply for assistance through their local Community Action Agency. Click here for more information on how to apply.

As always, we are here to provide assistance. If you have immediate questions or concerns, please reach out to your William Vaughan Company advisor today or call us at 419.891.1040

Categories: COVID-19, Other Resources