ABOVE PHOTO: Bucks County Administration Building (Photo/buckscounty.gov)
The Bucks County Commissioners have approved $5 million of American Rescue Plan funds to be used to once again help small businesses hurt by the pandemic.
At the Commissioners’ public meeting on September 1 County Commissioner Bob Harvie said a total of about $27 million was given to small businesses over the course of 2020.
“This is a continuation of that,” Harvie said. “We want to try and focus on businesses that did not receive funding from the last four rounds of grants.” The Bucks Back to Work Small Business Grant program launched last year with funding from the federal CARES Act. Amid several rounds of applications, Harvie said, the county provided grants to 13,000 businesses in amounts ranging from $5,000 – $50,000.
The county expects in the coming weeks to announce eligibility requirements and a timetable for applications. Harvie said the county is looking to adjust and broaden the new guidelines. Businesses that apply for a Bucks Back to Work grant must be physically located in the county, regardless of the owner’s residence and have less than 50 employees.
Eligibility requirements previously stated that for-profit businesses must have an annual gross revenue less than $700,000. Nonprofits and landlords are not eligible for the program. “We want to continue to do what we can to help small businesses who are still trying to get their feet underneath them after a tough 18 months,” Harvie said.
For questions regarding the Bucks Back to Work grant program, residents can email: [email protected].
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