Micro-grants of up to $10,000 are available

PASO ROBLES — The City of Paso Robles is using federal CARES Act funds to create a COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program. The program will provide one-time grant funding for local businesses in Paso Robles to help meet immediate funding needs due to COVID-19 impacts and retain the local workforce and businesses to support economic recovery.

The program will assist 10 to 20 small businesses with micro-grants of up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance to reimburse a portion of the costs of business interruption caused by required closures.

Due to limited funding for this program, the city has identified the following criteria to assist businesses that may not have access to other funds for support and/or whose reopening is in a later stage of the State’s reopening guidelines:

  • Headquartered in the city of Paso Robles with a current Business License.
  • Small business with 25 employees or fewer; priority given to smaller businesses with more than one employee.
  • Had to close or had limited operations due to COVID-19 restrictions resulting in economic loss to the business.
  • Able to demonstrate a clear need for grant funding to support business operations.

Priority will be given to those that have not received other assistance (SBA funds, other grants). Long- and short-term rental businesses are excluded from this program, as mortgage relief programs are available at www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/mortgage-and-housing-assistance.

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Funds can be used for any documented business operations expense such as rent or mortgage, payroll, utilities, insurance, and loan payments related to running the business. Grant recipients will be asked to provide basic reporting to the city on how grant funds were utilized.

The deadline to apply is Aug. 23. Grant recipients will be notified and funds allocated by mid- to late-September, 2020 — Apply here

If you have questions regarding this application, email Paul Sloan, City of Paso Robles Economic Development Manager, at psloan@prcity.com.