The York County commissioners recently voted to allocate a portion of the $40.5 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to support a small business and nonprofit organization grant program. The YoCo Strong Restart Fund will be administered by the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) and Community First Fund.
Utilizing the YoCo Strong Recovery Task Force report as guidance, the county will dedicate $10 million for small business support and $4 million for nonprofit support. Grant amounts will range from $10,000 to $35,000 for eligible organizations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that meet certain criteria.
The criteria include small businesses with gross revenues for the 12-month period of $3 million or less and with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs); restaurants with fewer than 75 FTEs and no capped annual revenue; and nonprofit organizations with revenues for the 12-month period of $3 million or less and with fewer than 75 FTEs.
To deploy these funds in an expedited manner and meet the compliance and time guidelines set forth by the federal government, the county government and the YCEA, in partnership with Community First Fund, will administer an application process for this funding. As was recommended by the Recovery Task Force, to ensure funding is directed to those most in need, funding will be prioritized to those who did not receive other additional government support, such a through the federal PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) program and minority-owned and low- to moderate-income businesses, as well as small nonprofit organizations.
The program is not administered on a first-come, first-served basis. The online application portal will be open for 10 days and administered by an impartial third party. Applications and assistance are available in English and Spanish. Once applications are received, the third-party vendor will score each application and perform all necessary underwriting, background and information checks, and fraud protection.
Full details on eligibility, ineligibility, application, and support are outlined on http://www.yocostrong.org. For more information, readers may contact the YCEA at info@yocostrong.org or 717-848-4000. The YCEA will provide socially-distanced, in-person application guidance countywide.
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