Port St. Lucie - Thursday September 28, 2023: The City of Port St. Lucie, in partnership with the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College, will launch a new COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program to support small businesses that were impacted by the pandemic.
The City of Port St. Lucie received $423,707, from FloridaCommerce through its Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Program. The City will allocate this funding for the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program. Eligible small businesses may receive up to $10,000, in the form of a reimbursement grant, which can be used for business-related expenses, including mortgage, rent, utility, insurance premium costs, reopening costs, costs for safety measures and payroll during business closure.
On October 11, 2023, at 9 a.m., the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program application portal will open, and the application will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on October 17, 2023. Applications will be processed in the order they are received. If an application is incomplete, or missing the supporting documentation necessary for processing, it will not be processed until it is completed. An applicant who applies and meets all the eligibility criteria will be notified by Port St. Lucie Neighborhood Services Department about the status of their application and any future steps in the processing of their file by telephone and/or email (if applicable).
“The City pleased to be part of this collaborative effort that will truly make a difference for struggling business owners and the communities where they work and live,” said Elijah Wooten, Port St. Lucie Economic Development Administrator.
The PSL COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program is designed for low-or moderate-income Census tract areas or individual business owner(s) whose household income qualifies as low or moderate income. Applications from small businesses that have not received prior COVID-19 relief funding will be prioritized.
To apply, applicants must:
· Have between 0-50 employees,
· Have been in operation before the COVID-19 pandemic or before March 1, 2020,
· Be located within a qualified low – to moderate-income Census Tract (QCT) or the owner of the business must qualify as a low-to moderate-income household within the City,
· Current on their federal, state, county, and city taxes,
· Have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Please note: An applicant must create a profile on ZoomGrants to be able to complete the online application. If an applicant is having technical difficulties with the online portal, they must request technical help from ZoomGrants.
Representatives from the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College are collaborating with the City to help residents get applications submitted and approved. If an applicant has questions regarding the program guide and/or eligibility criteria, they can contact their office at 772-336-6310 or email fsbdc@irsc.edu.
Please review the City’s Program Guide in full before applying.