FINANCIAL RELIEF RESOURCES

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The Chamber is committed to sharing as much information with all of you as possible.

The following financial relief resources have been aggregated in order for you to navigate what is available to you on a local, state and federal level.

If you have questions regarding these resources please feel free to reach out to Rick Weldon, President and CEO of the Chamber.

NEW RESOURCES

GRANTS FOR FREDERICK COUNTY FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS

Frederick County businesses that serve food can begin to apply for grants beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 13.  County Executive Jan Gardner recently announced the $2 million Food Service Grants program to support restaurants and other food service businesses, which have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Grants will be awarded in two categories. The first category includes commercially located bakeries and caterers, carry-out restaurants that have no seating, and food trucks. The second group includes restaurants without drive-thrus, and wineries, breweries, and distilleries. The amount of each grant will be determined by the number of establishments that apply. All eligible businesses in a given category will receive the same amount of funding.
To be eligible, the business must be located in Frederick County; be in good standing with the County and the State of Maryland; and possess a current food license from the Frederick County Health Department, or in the case of craft beverage manufacturers, possess a liquor license from the Frederick County Liquor Board. If the business previously received a Jump Start grant, all documentation for that grant must be received before applying for a Food Service grant.
Grant funds can be used to pay for:
  • Working capital, such as rent, payroll, and job training
  • Purchase of equipment and services to expand outdoor dining, such as tents, heaters, warmers, and carts
  • Infrastructure improvements, such as HVAC system upgrades
  • Technology to support carryout and delivery
  • Purchase of PPE and disposable food containers and utensils
  • Sanitization services
Applications will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23. Questions about the grant program can be emailed to the Office of Economic Development at OED@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

GRANTS OPEN FOR ENTERTAINMENT, TOURISM & MAIN STREET

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has opened grant applications for Nonprofit Tourism, Entertainment Venues, and Main Street businesses.  View details of these and other grant opportunities from County, State, and Federal entities on the Visit Frederick Partners Page.
Entertainment Venues - Opens: November 12 at 12:00 pm ; Closes: November 20 at 5:00 pm. Min/Max Request Amount : $75,000/$500,000
Tourism Nonprofits - Opens: November 9 at 12:00 pm ; Closes: November 18 at 5:00 pm. Min/Max Request Amount : $75,000/$500,000
Main Street - Opens: November 17 at 12:00 pm. Closes: November 20 at 12:00 pm. Min/Max Request Amount : $75,000/$500,000

PREVIOUS RESOURCES

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM WEBINAR & FAQ

Webinar: Paycheck Protection Program Loan Next Steps

​This webinar, presented by DeLeon & Stang for Chamber members provides information on:
  • What items you’ll need to track to prepare for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness
  • What elements affect the forgiveness amount
  • What they can learn from companies who are thriving during the economic downturn
  • What may be coming next in the recovery from the COVID-19 economic downturn
​The Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, has provided this document to address borrower and lender questions concerning the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program. This document will be updated on a regular basis. Latest version: May 13, 2020

WEBINAR RESOURCE

Navigating through all of the small, medium and large programs to help keep your organization afloat can be overwhelming. A webinar titled COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses was held recently by BB&T and was found to be helpful by many. You can access a video recording of that webinar below.
​Password:  MxvN224@

LOCAL RESOURCES

Essential Businesses

The City of Frederick's Department of Economic Development has developed a Business Resiliency Micro-Grant Program activated by re-deployed departmental funds, to assist small businesses within The City of Frederick that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and affiliated State Executive Orders.  One-time awards of $2,500 will be available with no repayment due.

Nonprofit Grant Applications 

The COVID Collaborative is administering a common grant application to support local eligible organizations impacted by COVID-19. The Phase I application is open through noon on April 3, 2020.  At least $100,000 will be available to support grants during Phase I.  Minimum grant request is $500.  A maximum request has not been specified.  Partial funding of requests will be considered. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. 

Organizations can use this application to apply for emergency grants to support increases to demands in services and/or grants to support general operating expenses when revenues have been impacted by COVID-19-related closures. 

Applications will be collected by the Community Foundation and evaluated for funding by the COVID Collaborative funders, including The Community Foundation of Frederick County, the Ausherman Family Foundation, Delaplaine Foundation, Inc., Helen J. Serini Foundation, Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick County, and United Way of Frederick County.

United Way Community Relief Campaign

The economic fallout from Coronavirus is causing significant hardship for many Frederick County families.  39% of households in Frederick County already struggled to afford basic households.* Today, many of these families, known as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed),  face an even more uncertain future.
​
This COVID-19 Emergency Relief Campaign dollars will be used to support nonprofits who directly help those adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Programmatic impacts may include, but are not limited to, emergency shelter, financial stability programs, transportation needs, prescriptions and medical supplies, food and food supplies for seniors, and suicide prevention and other mental health services.

STATE RESOURCES

Maryland COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Programs for Business

As of 5 p.m. on April 6, Commerce is no longer accepting new applications for its COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant and Loan Programs.​ All applications that have been submitted are currently being reviewed in the order received. Questions on pending applications: covid-19.application@maryland.gov ​

Status of Loan and Grant Applications: Patience, please!  Applicants for the Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Loan or Grant can check application status by signing up for a Maryland OneStop account. (If they applied before OneStop was instituted). Be sure to use the same email address that was used in the original application. 

There are numerous local and national programs for businesses in need of emergency support, but understanding which options are relevant for your organization can be a challenge.

The Maryland Business Relief Wizard is a tool that helps connect businesses with the resources and programming for which they’re eligible, streamlining the process of finding support.

Emergency SBA Loans

Frederick County businesses and nonprofits are now eligible to apply for emergency loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA). This program designation recognizes the catastrophic impact that shutdowns are having resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic.

This program, administered by the SBA, offers emergency loans at a deeply discounted interest rates for businesses and nonprofits covered by national declarations. Unlike other situations, a business does NOT need to have been turned down by a commercial lender in order to apply.

The process takes some patience and time, but for our members struggling with both short and long term financial issues through no fault of their own, this program could offer critical assistance. Time is of the essence, so the sooner you start, the faster the process.

FEDERAL RESOURCES

Economic Relief Plan (CARES Act) for Individuals and Businesses


​On March 25th the Senate passed an updated version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bill builds upon earlier versions of the CARES Act and is intended to be a third round of federal government support in the wake of the coronavirus public health crisis and associated economic fallout, succeeding the $8.3 billion in public health support passed two weeks ago and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The CARES Act is an 800+ page bill which makes it confusing for many to wade through. 

Some highlights:
  • $367 billion in loans for small businesses. Small businesses could obtain federally-backed loans through community banks through June 30. If they keep all their employees, the loans would be forgiven.
  • $500 billion in loans from the Treasury Department for larger industries, including $25 billion for passenger airlines; $4 billion for carriers; $3 billion for aviation contractors; and $17 billion for businesses critical to national security. For mid-sized businesses with between 500 and 10,000 employees, there would be no payments due for the first six months after the loan is issued.
  • Direct payments of $1,200 to most single Americans making up to $75,000, or $2,400 for couples making up to $150,000. Parents would receive $500 for each child under 17. The amount decreases for individuals with incomes above $75,000, with no payments for those making more than $99,000.
  • Expanded unemployment benefits that increase the maximum benefit by $600 per week and provide laid-off workers their full pay for four months. Eligibility is extended to independent contractors and the self-employed.
  • $150 billion for state and local governments, with $8 billion set aside for local governments, which are losing a great deal of tax revenue, as only essential businesses remain open and unemployment claims skyrocket.
  • More than $100 billion for hospitals: The bill provides more than $100 billion to help hospitals prepare for an influx of patients.
  • Creation of an oversight board and inspector general to oversee loans to large companies.
  • Suspension of student loan payments: The Department of Education would suspend payments on student loans until September 30.
  • Sole proprietors (gig businesses) will be eligible for almost all of the small business benefits as long as they can prove the losses and have proper tax status.

Below you will find an PDF document that provides an overview of several new programs to help small business access much needed funding to help cover payroll and operating costs. The document is set up in a Frequently Asked Question format and provides the first available information about these programs. 

  • Paycheck Protection Program
  • Small Business Debt Relief Program
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans & Emergency Economic Injury Grants​

​Note: It will take several days to get the application process set up but it you can read the overview and determine if these programs are a good fit for your organization. ​Please check back here often to see updates and actionable items as they unfold in the coming days.

UPCOMING EVENTS

NEW MEMBERS
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