Submitted information:
The Cobb Board of Commissioners, with a 5-0 vote, approved funding for a $50 million Small Business Grant Program designed to help struggling businesses recover from the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding will come out of the $132 million allocated to Cobb in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
The agenda item provides $500,000 to the “Select Cobb” division of the Cobb Chamber to administer the grant program. That group will educate, advertise and administer the program with a board comprised of a diverse group of business interests. Only companies with fewer than 101 employees will be able to apply.
The applications will be reviewed by commission district so all areas of the county are equally represented in the number of companies approved for grants. The amount of funding awarded to an individual small business will vary based on business size:
- One to ten employees – up to $20,000
- 11 to 50 employees – up to $30,000
- 51 to 100 employees – up to $40,000
A Cobb Chamber survey recently found that 32% of Cobb businesses worry the COVID-19 situation will put them out of business and 60 percent say they will need some sort of financial assistance to continue.
The process for the application is as follows:
- The application will be uploaded at 10:00 a.m. on June 8
- The application portal will be open until June 26 at 5:00 p.m.
- All grants submitted in that time frame will be evaluated. This is not first come first served.
On Wednesday, June 10 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., join Select Cobb to have your questions answered and to discuss the application and review process for the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants. Speakers for the webinar will include:
- John Loud, President, LOUD Security & 2020 Cobb Chamber Chairman
- Commissioner Bob Ott, District 2 Commissioner, Cobb County
- Kevin Greiner, President & CEO, Gas South & SelectCobb Chairman
- Jason Gaines, Planning and Economic Development Division Manager, Cobb County Community Development Agency
- Dana Johnson, COO, Cobb Chamber & Executive Director, SelectCobb
- Sharon Mason, President & CEO, Cobb Chamber
Please note that you do not have to be a member of the Cobb Chamber to apply or receive funding as part of the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grant Program. No preferential consideration will be given for Cobb Chamber members. For more information on the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants, visit selectcobb.com/grants.
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