COVID-19 Yelm Business Grant

BACKGROUND

On May 20, 2020, the Washington State Department of Commerce notified the City of Yelm that they will release a portion of the federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to local governments. The City of Yelm utilized these funds to cover unanticipated and unbudgeted COVID related costs for public health and safety, as well as help individuals, families and businesses overcome any economic hardships. To do this, the City created a program to provide emergency grants to local businesses. We also contributed funds to the newly formed “Yelm Community Relief Fund” which can help individuals affected by the pandemic. Please see the City of Yelm website for a link to that Relief Fund application.

In the first round of COVID-19 Business Grants, $109,620 was allocated and made available to all businesses in the City of Yelm who could demonstrate economic hardship or loss of revenue due to COVID-19 and/or demonstrate increased costs to comply with reopening. In total, 47 businesses received the Yelm COVID-19 Business Grant in the amount of up to $2,500. A summary of the grant process and recipients can be found here: Yelm COVID-19 Business Grant Report

On September 8,2020, Council approved allocating the additional $167,025 in funds released by the State from the CARES Act funding. Council approved 35% of the funds to go to the Yelm Community Relief Fund and 65% to the Yelm business grants with a new cap of $7,500 per business. Businesses that applied before may apply again for additional money up to the $7,500 cap as deemed appropriate by the ad hoc committee that reviews the applications.

We’ve received more applications than we have funding for and we will be considering applications in the order they were submitted based on if businesses meet our requirements and the need they expressed on their application. WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING BUSINESS GRANT APPLICATIONS. If additional funds become available through the Federal CARES Act (Round 3), we will announce it on our website and on social media, and repost the application.  

THE COMMUNITY RELIEF APPLICATION CAN BE FOUND HERE.