Monterey County Workforce Development Board to Distribute an Additional $825,000 for Small Business Relief on Behalf of the County Board of Supervisors

Salinas, CA, January 31, 2021 --(PR.com)-- The Monterey County Workforce Development Board (MCWDB) will administer a second round of grants through the Monterey County CARES Small Business Relief Program (SBRP) in order to assist more small businesses throughout Monterey County that have suffered financial losses due to COVID-19. The County of Monterey Board of Supervisors demonstrated its ongoing commitment to supporting small businesses by allocating additional funds for this program, this time from the County’s Cannabis Tax Assignment, after allocating $1,268,000 of CARES Act funds to it in fall 2020, which enabled the MCWDB to award grants to 130 businesses.

In this round, $825,000 will be distributed to 83 or more eligible businesses in the form of grants of up to $10,000, which are paid to awardees on a reimbursement basis. Eligible businesses must be owned and operated in Monterey County, have five to twenty-five (5–25) full-time equivalent employees, were in operation on or before October 1, 2020, and have experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants must describe both their need for financial relief and their plans to use the grant funding to stay open and keep their workers employed. Awardees may use their grant funds for operating expenses (payroll, rent/lease payments, and basic utilities) and/or COVID-19-related expenses, which may include personal protective equipment (PPE), or other equipment or supplies needed to operate during this challenging time.

Priority will be given to small businesses in the Hospitality & Tourism sectors, which includes accommodations and food services (e.g., restaurants, bars, wine tasting rooms, etc.). Priority will also be given to businesses operating in unincorporated areas of Monterey County and those who have not received any COVID-19-related financial assistance before. Business owners who received grants through Round 1 of the CARES SBRP are not eligible for funding in Round 2.

Applicants should carefully review the SBRP Guidance to ensure grant eligibility before applying. The MCWDB will host a series of informational webinars February 3–4, 2021 (in English and Spanish) to provide detailed information about eligibility requirements and instructions on how to apply. The application will be available on the website beginning February 8, 2021, and must be submitted online, in-person, or by mail by February 22, 2021.

For more information, including the SBRP Guidance and links to register for the informational webinars, go to the Monterey County CARES SBRP site on the Monterey County Workforce Development Board website or contact the Monterey County Workforce Development Board by email to learn more.