The City of Kingston is pleased to announce the launch of the ARPA Small Business Grant Program, which is made possible with funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Donor Name: City of Kingston
State: New York
City: Kingston
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/17/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $10,000
Details:
The City has allocated $1,000,000 of its $17.3 million ARPA award to aid local for-profit businesses within City limits in responding to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
This program is intended to respond to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency by focusing on the needs of for-profit small businesses within City limits. Grant awards of up to $10,000 each will help businesses keep their doors open, protect local jobs threatened by the pandemic, support community recovery, and increase resiliency.
Eligible businesses may apply for cash assistance to help mitigate the impacts of revenue reductions associated with the pandemic. The City expects to award approximately 100 businesses a one-time cash grant.
This is a reimbursement program; award payments will be made following execution of a City/Grantee contract and the City’s receipt, review, and acceptance of expense documentation. Grantees will be reimbursed for eligible expenses with appropriate documentation in an amount of up to $10,000
Funding Information
Grant awards of up to $10,000 each will help businesses keep their doors open, protect local jobs threatened by the pandemic, support community recovery, and increase resiliency.
Eligible Uses of Funds
Businesses may use funds to mitigate financial hardship, such as declines in revenue resulting from periods of closure. Grants are for costs not yet incurred by the date the American Rescue Plan Act was passed (March 3, 2021). Expenses incurred between March 3, 2021 and October 31, 2023, are eligible for reimbursement. Grants funds may be used for:
- Payroll and cost of benefits
- Rent
- Mortgage
- Utilities
- Installed Equipment (e.g., oven, refrigerator)
- Other Equipment (e.g., computer, software)
- Product inventory
- Signage
- Technical Assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with business planning needs
- Improvements to ventilation
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Other physical improvements to processes or location to comply with social distancing or other directives issued by the County or State due to the pandemic (e.g., outdoor dining furniture)
Other Potential Eligible Use of Funds
Applicant should contact the Office of Grants Management prior to submitting an application for the following:
- Capital Improvements, including but not limited to, rehabilitation of commercial property, storefront and façade improvements
- Childcare and transportation costs for micro-businesses
Eligibility Criteria
- Preference will be given to MBE (minority-owned,) WBE (women-owned) and VBE (veteran-owned) businesses, and to those that occupy a vulnerable sector as defined by the U.S. Treasury; this includes but is not limited to restaurant/dining, retail, hospitality, arts and entertainment, or another service sector.
- Preference will be given to micro-businesses; this is defined as a business that resides in New York State and is licensed or registered to do business in New York State, independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field, and employs 10 or fewer fulltime equivalent (FTE) employ
In addition to providing evidence of negative economic impact caused by the pandemic, to be eligible for an award, a business must:
- Be a for-profit business based within City of Kingston limits
- Have 50 or fewer employees
- Be registered to do business in the State of New York unless the business is a sole proprietorship
- Be registered as a DBA if the sole proprietorship does business under a name other than the owner’s
- Be independently owned and operated and not be dominant in its field of operation
- Have been operating in the City of Kingston prior to October 1, 2021.
- Not be facing any pending litigation or legal action
- Not have any business owners, including all managing members and/or officers, who have been convicted of financial crimes within the past three years
- Not have received alternate federal, state, or local grant funding to cover the same costs and/or uses included in this application
- Not be suspended or debarred from the use of federal funds
- Not be a franchise, unless the franchise is not a subsidiary of a larger corporation
For more information, visit Small Business Grant Program.
