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Pinellas County CARES Small Business Grant Program opens Monday

Posted at 5:01 AM, May 04, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-04 05:01:22-04

On Monday, Pinellas County will begin taking applications for their CARES Small Business Grant Program through an online digital portal.

Pinellas CARES Small Business Grants will assist local businesses that had to close or significantly reduce operations due to the pandemic and the resulting statewide orders to curb the spread of the virus.

The program is available strictly for businesses physically located in Pinellas. Here's what it entails:

• $5,000 for qualifying small businesses with a physical location in Pinellas County (1-25 full-time employees, or equivalent part-time employees, including the owner)
• Restaurants, bars, short-term lodging and other non-essential businesses impacted by the local or state safer-at-home orders are eligible
• Larger businesses, non-profits and home-based businesses are not eligible
• Funds can be used to pay employee wages, vendors, rent or other business expenses
• No reimbursement is required
• Businesses can only apply for this one-time assistance program to cover COVID-19 related costs that have not already been paid for by insurance or by another federal program.

For more information on the grant and how to apply, click here.