The Tarpon Springs City Commission has authorized Small Business Endurance Grants to assist small businesses with some of the economic challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grant will provide a one-time payment of $1,000 to eligible small businesses in the City of Tarpon Springs that are experiencing hardships due to the restrictions enforced to fight the spread of COVID-19.
The grant period will run from Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. until Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. The application involves a simple online application on the City’s website. Hard copies may be obtained if the applicant has no internet access via the drive-through window at the City Clerk’s Office at 410 N. Ring Street
Funding will be on a first-come, first-served basis until the funding is exhausted or through the application deadline, whichever is sooner. The City Commission has authorized the use of $100,000 from the City emergency reserve funds.
In order to be eligible, businesses must meet the following criteria (see website for complete instructions and eligibility):
- Be public facing
- Be directly impacted by the public health requirements of COVID-19
- Principal place of business must be within the incorporated city limits
- Have 50 or fewer employees prior to March 1, 2020
- Must demonstrate a loss in revenue and be in need of working capital to continue operations.
- Business mush have no outstanding code enforcement fines and must have a current business tax license
- Owners of multiple businesses are eligible for only one grant. If additional funding is made available, the City may make additional grants available in the future.