Select Cobb

Cobb small business grant applications accepted June 8-26

by

Cobb small business grant applications

After the Cobb Board of Commissioners this week approved $50 million in federal CARES Act funding for small businesses, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce has released details about the application process, which runs from June 8-26.

The program is called the Select Cobb Small Business Grants, after the chamber’s economic development arm, which will distribute grants to qualifying businesses in amounts ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. The funding can be used on personnel, rent, utilities and acquiring PPE for employee safety.

Here’s what SelectCobb sent out late Thursday afternoon:

Applications will open on June 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. and close on June 26, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. A full list of eligibility requirements and more information about the application process will be available at www.selectcobb.com on June 1. The website and email address for this program—www.selectcobb.com/grants and grants@selectcobb.com—will be available on June 1. Also, a webinar on how to apply for the small business grants will be held on June 10th at 10:00 am through the Cobb Chamber.

“Maintaining jobs and promoting growth within Cobb County has been and always will be our number one priority for our small business community,” said Kevin Greiner, president and CEO of Gas South and Chairman of SelectCobb for the Cobb Chamber. “The SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants will allow Cobb’s small businesses to stand strong during this pandemic and continue to meet necessary business expenses, as well as providing capital to acquire PPE and other resources to ensure a safe working environment for their employees.”

To be considered for the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grant, small businesses must meet the following requirements:

  • Business must be an existing for-profit corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship;
  • Business headquarters or primary location must be within Cobb County; 
  • Business must have 100 or fewer full-time, W-2 employees, i.e., employees working at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month;
  • Business must have been in continuous operation for a minimum of 1 year prior to March 13, 2020; 
  • Business must have a current business license issued by Cobb County Government, City of Acworth, City of Austell, City of Kennesaw, City of Marietta, City of Powder Springs, or City of Smyrna;
  • Business must be current on all local taxes;
  • Business may be home-based or located in an owned or leased commercial space;
  • Business must certify if they have received PPP funds as of time of application submittal; and
  • Business cannot be a publicly traded company.

Grant funding will be available in three different tiers based upon the number of full-time, W-2 employees employed by the company as of March 12, 2020. The tiers of grant funding include, up to $20,000 for 1 to 10 employees; up to $30,000 for 11 to 50 employees; and up to $40,000 for 51 to 100 employees.

“I’m gratified that the board came together to address an important segment of our community, the small business community,” said Chairman Mike Boyce after the vote. “It demonstrates when it is all said and done, this board has the best interest of the county at heart. We work every day to do the best we can with the money we have—whether it is county money, state money, or federal money—we all have a duty to make sure the taxpayer’s money is spent appropriately and I think this is one action that reflects that.”

SelectCobb staff will review each application to ensure that all eligibility requirements are met. Once applications are closed, an independent committee of business representatives will review each eligible application and decide which companies will receive grant funds and how much will be provided, up to the maximum allowed by each tier. The committee will be comprised of individuals from all areas of Cobb, and will include a diverse group of industries being represented, including banking, certified public accountants, law, small business and county government.

The committee will review applications per Commission District so that all areas are equally represented in the number of companies being assisted. Once determinations are made, a public announcement of grants funds will be made by representatives of the selection committee, SelectCobb, Cobb Chamber, and Cobb County Government.

“Cobb County should be applauded for creating one of the largest small business grants in the region,” said Dana Johnson, executive director of SelectCobb. “I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that Cobb County remains one of the top destinations for small businesses.”

 

Related content

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Commissioners OK small business grants, rental relief

by

After some discussion Tuesday morning, the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved using more than $50 million of federal COVID-19 stimulus funds to help small businesses and low-income renters facing evictions.Cobb small business grants

The proposals by Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb were later approved at the board’s regular business meeting Tuesday afternoon.

In the case of the small business grants, a total of $50 million will be earmarked to help businesses retain employees and meet other expenses to stay open.

The proposal would limit eligible business to those with 100 employees or less and stipulated that they must own or lease commercial property for their operations in Cobb County.

But commissioner Lisa Cupid of South Cobb got her colleagues to agree to expand the criteria to those who have home-based businesses.

She also wanted to cap the number of eligible business with up to 20 employees.

Select Cobb, the development arm of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, will oversee the selection of the businesses to get the grants. Starting next Monday, more information will be available on its website about the application and eligibility process.

Select Cobb and commissioners will appoint an independent committee representing a variety of industries and business sectors to choose the grant recipients.

An equitable number of businesses will be chosen from the four commission districts, and they will be eligible for funding as follows:

  • 1 to 10 employees – up to $20,000;
  • 11 to 50 employees – up to $30,000;
  • 51 to 100 employees – up to $40,000.

Select Cobb will receive $500,000 in stimulus funding to oversee the selection and distribution process.

Also Tuesday, commissioners approved spending $1.5 million of the federal stimulus funds to help tenants work out agreements with landlords for back rent in order to avoid eviction.

Star-C, an Atlanta non-profit with offices in Cobb County, will administer that funding. Under the plan, low-income apartment dwellers facing evictions would receive a “scholarship” of up to 70 percent of their overdue payment total. The remaining 20 percent would be paid by the tenant and the landlord would be asked to pay the remaining 10 percent and waive the late fee.

Cobb County has received $132 million in funding from the federal CARES Act, and earlier this month approved spending $1 million to reimburse Cobb non-profits who’ve been providing emergency food supplies.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners designated several categories to spend the rest of the money, and these are subject to change.

  • Disaster Relief/County Preparedness
  • Economic Development/Business Loans
  • Emergency Food Program
  • Emergency Shelter Program
  • School Assistance Programs
  • Job Training
  • County Contingency

Related content

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Community Development Director Dana Johnson takes Cobb Chamber of Commerce post

by

Dana Johnson

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has hired Dana Johnson, who heads up community development for Cobb County, to head its economic development efforts.

The Chamber made the announcement Wednesday afternoon that Johnson will become executive vice president of economic development and executive director of Select Cobb.

That office directs the chamber’s economic development strategy.

“Dana is the right person to lead Select Cobb for our next chapter of advancing a thriving economy for our community. He brings a great passion for Cobb and our state as well as extensive economic development experience in working with our many partners to attract, recruit and retain jobs,” Cobb Chamber president and CEO Sharon Mason said in a statement. “I look forward to his leadership that will take Select Cobb and our team to the next level.”

Johnson has been with Cobb community development since 2005 and was appointed director in 2015. The agency oversees planning and zoning, code enforcement and business licenses and inspections in addition to economic development.

He has developed a business concierge service to assist businesses to relocate or expand operations in Cobb.

“I am honored to join an organization with a strong record of achievement and I look forward to building on that momentum,” Johnson said in a Chamber release. “I see tremendous potential for Select Cobb’s efforts to attract and retain businesses to the county, to assist entrepreneurs and grow its international strategy. “

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!