- Date published
Small businesses in Greene County will be able to apply for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding starting on April 20, 2022. The County will receive a total of $56.9 million in federal ARPA funds to support local economic recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Greene County Commission has allocated approximately $8 million for small business ARPA applications. The Commission is planning four rounds of funding over the next two years with approximately $2 million available each cycle. The first round of funding will be open to small businesses in the County for six weeks, lasting until May 31.
Small businesses that are awarded funds from the County will be required to provide a report demonstrating how they’ve utilized the grant funding to support their business’ operations. The eligibility criteria for ARPA funding is as follows:
– The business must be located in Greene County, Missouri.
– The business must be a for-profit or family-owned business that employs 50 or fewer full-time employees, including the owner(s).
– The business must not employ undocumented immigrant workers and must be enrolled in E-Verify.
– The business must have existed in Greene County, Missouri as of March 1st, 2020.
– The business must demonstrate the existence of negative impacts incurred as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency since March 1st, 2020.
– The business is not suspended or debarred from the use of federal funds.
The following are allowable uses for ARPA funding outlined by the U.S. Treasury department:
Revenue Loss Mitigation – Funds may be used to mitigate financial hardship such as declines in revenues or impacts of periods of business closure, for example by supporting payroll and benefits costs, costs to retain employees, mortgage, rent, or utilities costs, and other operating costs.
Facilities – Funds may be used to implement COVID-19 prevention or mitigation tactics, such as physical plant changes to enable social distancing, enhanced cleaning efforts, barriers or partitions, or COVID-19 vaccination, testing, or contact tracing programs.
Small businesses cannot use ARPA funds for the following expenditures:
– Paying non-business debt, such as personal credit cards for purchases not associated with the business.
– Personal expenses such as buying a new family car or making repairs to a home.
– Direct financing to political activities or paying off taxes and fines.
– Purchase of personal items.
– The purchase of drugs, tobacco, and/or alcohol.
– Food and entertainment.
– Bonuses.
– Travel not associated with direct business operations.
Apply for Greene County ARPA Funds
To apply for Greene County ARPA funds, click on the orange “American Rescue Plan Act” tab on the www.greenecountymo.gov homepage. Then click on the “ARPA small business application” sub-link to begin the registration process.
The Greene County ARPA team will host a small business application workshop on Wednesday, April 27 at 2 p.m. to help owners with registering and answer any questions. To join the virtual meeting, use this link: https://www.gotomeet.me/GCCommissionOffice. No account creation is necessary.
