Small Business Relief Program 

Click here for a downloadable grant application how-to document

Overview

The Board of County Commissioners, Hamilton County, Ohio ("Board") has established the Hamilton County Small Business Relief Program to provide small businesses grant funds located in Hamilton County, Ohio that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using American Rescue Plan Act State Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA-SLFRF) dollars eligible small businesses are able to apply for up to $10,000 ("Grant") to be used for certain Eligible Expenses, as defined below. The amount of grant funding available is the loss between your 2019 and 2021 gross/total income with a maximum of up to $10,000 (as long as the loss was at least 15 percent).

An eligible business that is interested in receiving funding from the Program must be prepared to submit a complete Application and other required documentation evidencing that it has met the Eligibility Criteria and must agree to use the grant funds for the defined Eligible Expenses. Company’s costs and expenses will comply with the requirements of the ARPA-SLFRF and related guidance issued by the federal government and State of Ohio.

The receipt and review of source documentation as well as the payment of funding by the Board shall in no way be construed as Board's determination or approval of the eligibility of the business or the eligibility of the expenses. In all cases and under all circumstances, a business is ultimately responsible for the determination of the eligibility of expenses (eligible expenses must have been incurred on or after March 3, 2021).

For assistance purposes only, US Department of Treasury's guidance on the Coronavirus Relief Fund follows: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Frequently-Asked-Questions.pdf

Process

1. Application

The maximum amount a small business can request for reimbursement is limited to $10,000. Interested businesses must complete an Application to determine if they meet the Eligibility Criteria.

Applications can be submitted online beginning at 10:00 a.m. on May 22 and ending at 4:00 p.m. on June 20. Under no circumstances will late or incomplete Applications be accepted. An Application is not complete and considered submitted unless and until all the steps in the Application are marked complete, including acceptance of the Terms and Conditions, and the Application is submitted.

2. Use of Lottery to Allocate Funding (if necessary)

To the extent that requests are greater than the amount of funding allocated to the Program, a small business that has submitted a timely and complete Application will be entered into a lottery.

Preference will be given to applicants who have not received grants in the past.

3. Review of Application

Representatives of the Alloy Development Co. Inc. (“Alloy”) and Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio will review and verify the information contained on the Application in conjunction with submitted documents. If the submitted information and documents do not demonstrate that the business has met the Eligibility Criteria the application will be denied and/or another business will be chosen in the occurrence of a lottery.

4. Payment of Grant Funds to Approved Small Businesses

If approved for a Grant, Alloy will notify the small business via the email address that the business used to submit its application. This notification will the business to submit its direct deposit/ACH information via a secured portal so that grant funds can be transferred to the business's account.

ELIGIBILITY

A small business will qualify for the Program if it: i) is an Eligible Business; and ii) has Eligible Expenses (as defined below).

Eligible Small Businesses

1. Must be a for-profit entity with a business location in Hamilton County (that is not permanently closed).
2. Have a Federal Taxpayer Identification Number for its type of business.
3. Have a Federal UEI number issued via sam.gov.
4. Must have been in operation as of December 31, 2019, or earlier.
5. Have less than $2.5 million in gross/total income on an annual basis.
6. Must have experienced a 15% loss when comparing 2019 gross/total income to 2021 gross/total income due to COVID-19 public health emergency and the Grant funding is necessary to help it recover from the impact of COVID-19. This can be evidenced by submitting the business' 2019 and 2021 business federal tax return. Calculation of revenue loss must be inclusive of any other state, local, or federal assistance. Cost of goods sold (COGS) will be added back into the gross/total income.
7. Have 50 or fewer W-2 employees or 1099 workers.
8. Is a small business concern as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act.
9. Have Eligible Expenses as defined in the program directly associated with a Hamilton County business location.
10. For a small business that received funding in Round 1, Round 2 or Round 3 of the Hamilton County Small Business Relief Program, it has timely and properly submitted all close-out reports and the requested information.
11. Is in compliance with federal, state, or county and local requirements applicable to its type of business, including tax payments and code enforcement.
12. Is not currently in bankruptcy or the subject of a receivership.
13. Does not have any federal, state or local tax liens.
14. Is not barred from receiving federal funds.
15. Does not have a conflict of interest. No elected officials of Hamilton County, employee or Board member of Alloy Development Co. or any of their immediate family members may have an ownership interest in the business.
16. Eligible Expenses are over and above any other expenses already paid for, or to be paid for, with other federal, state, local government funding, insurance proceeds, or other funding assistance. Grant funding cannot be used to reimburse for expenses already paid for with other federal, state, or local funding.

In order to demonstrate a small business is an Eligible Business, the following documentation is required:

1. Copy of business owner's driver's license or government issued ID.
2. Proof of revenue reduction. A copy of a business’ federal tax return for 2019 and 2021. Sole proprietors must submit a complete 1040, including Schedule C for 2019 and 2021.
3. Proof of business location in Hamilton County (mortgage statement, rental agreement, utility bill, insurance statement, and/or property tax bill).

Ineligible Small Businesses

The following types of business are not eligible to receive Grant funding under the Program:

1. Adult entertainment establishment
2. E-commerce only company
3. Liquor / wine store
4. Business that primarily sells tobacco products, cigarettes, electronic smoking devices or vapor products
5. Cannabis dispensary
6. Financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, payday lenders, or other similar businesses
7. Franchised business not locally owned and independently operated
8. Real estate investment trusts
9. Real estate leasing companies/landlords
10. Real estate development companies
11. Property management companies
12. Independent contractors working on gig platforms (such as Airbnb, Fiverr, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, etc.)
13. Any other business types that are deemed ineligible under ARPA-SLFRF
14. Organizations involved in political or lobbying activities

Eligible Expenses

1. Mortgage costs. However, mortgage costs for businesses that are located in or operated out of a personal residence are not an eligible expense (Only principal and interest is eligible, not any real estate property taxes)
2. Rent or lease costs.  Rent or lease costs for businesses that are located in or operated out of a personal residence are not an eligible expense
3. Utility costs, such as electric, gas, sewer, phone, internet, water, trash removal.  Utility costs for businesses that are located in or operated out of personal residence are not an eligible expense
4. Salaries, wages or compensation paid to employees or 1099 workers (owner and member draws are not eligible)
5. Business insurance (Business Name must appear on policy and match name on submitted as a part of the application)
6. Personal Protective Equipment and costs to protect employees and customers from COVID-19, including masks, gloves, cleaning services and cleaning supplies, barriers, touchless systems, additional ventilation or other air filtering equipment; markers for social distancing, and tents to allow for distancing
7. Operating costs for the business

* The ONLY eligible expenses are listed above. No other expenses will be considered, including, but not limited to:

• personal expenses
• taxes
• licenses or government fees (outside from water and sewer)
• Deposits to pension funds or other retirement benefit accounts
• Deposits to reserve accounts or rainy-day funds
• Costs of issuing new debt
• Satisfaction of settlements and judgments
• Uses that contravene or violate the American Rescue Plan Act, Uniform Guidance conflicts of interest requirements, and other federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Grant funds may not be used to reimburse for expenses for which a business has or will receive from another source, including any other government loan or grant program. Eligible expenses must have been incurred on or after March 23, 2021.