Fueling Growth With A JobsOhio Inclusion Grant

Jul 09, 2021

The JobsOhio Inclusion Grant program was established in 2020 with the goal of providing financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and/or for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state, including minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses.

Locally, the Toledo Regional Growth Partnership and William Vaughan Company have assisted qualifying organizations in receiving upwards of $25,000 to help facilitate growth.

How do I qualify?

To qualify for the Inclusion Grant, a company must:

  • Meet one of the 2 criteria – 1.) Be owned by an underrepresented population – which includes race, ethnicity, gender, veterans, and those with disabilities, or 2.) located in a qualified distressed community as defined by the Economic Innovation Group.
  • Be a targeted industry including Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Aviation, Automotive, Energy and Chemicals, Financial Services, Healthcare, Food and Agribusiness, Logistics and Distribution, Technology, Military, and Federal.
  • Ineligible companies include retail or operations that include point-of-final-purchase transactions at a facility open to the public or other population-driven businesses that derive most of their sales from in-person delivery of services or products. For example, restaurants, hair salons, physician’s offices, retail stores, daycares, etc. For a full list of ineligible businesses, visit the JobsOhio website.
  • Additionally, companies must have been in operation for at least one (1) year and be able to demonstrate $100,000 in annual revenues.

What can the grant fund be used for?
Funds may be put towards eligible costs including fixed-asset investment in machinery and equipment, real estate investments, and training costs, among other items including:

  • Land
  • Building
  • Leasehold improvements
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Moving and relocation costs of machinery and equipment related to the project
  • Infrastructure
  • Site development
  • Revitalization costs including demolition, renovation, and environmental remediation
  • Fees and material costs related to planning and feasibility studies
  • Engineering services
  • Employee training costs
  • Information technology including hardware and industry-specific software.

A full list of eligible costs can be found on the website noted below.

What should I do next?

Visit the JobsOhio Inclusion Grant Program website. Ensure you meet the criteria to be eligible. The Grant is reimbursement-based and requires supporting documentation including proof of payment.

Contact your William Vaughan Company representative or call our office number below to receive assistance in applying for this useful grant.

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wvco.com | 419.891.1040

Categories: COVID-19, Other Resources


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.

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

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