Originally Posted August 20, 2020 / Updated August 25, 2020

 

The State of Delaware and New Castle County are working together to provide further relief to Delaware nonprofits and small businesses who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They recently announced new funding through the means of “DE Relief Grants.” Funding for this program comes from the Federal CARES Act.

 

Eligibility

Nonprofits:

1. Must be a registered 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6)
2. At least 51% of operations must be physically located in Delaware
3. Received less than $1 million of PPP funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration
4. Must be a 501(c)(3) organization in a disproportionately impacted industry (Updated August 25, 2020)

Small Businesses:

1. Must meet the U.S. Small Business Administration’s definition of a small business for your industry
2. At least 51% of operations must be physically located in Delaware
3. Received less than $1 million of PPP funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration
4. Business that have received other grants or loans from the State of Delaware (EDGE, HELP, DTIP, etc.) are still eligible to apply for Delaware Relief Grants

Application Process
There will be three rounds of funding. The application for the first round of grants will go live in early September 2020. The application will open for the second and third round in early October and early November. Once the grant application goes live, nonprofits and businesses will apply online on the State of Delaware’s DE Relief Grants website. Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to the Division of Small Business’ team of Regional Business Managers.

Grant Specifics
The size of the grant a business or nonprofit can receive is based upon 2019 revenue and could be up to $100,000. Refer to the DE Relief Grants website to calculate the amount you might be eligible for with this grant.

The grant may be used for the following:

• Equipment purchased to make business suitable for COVID-19 safety (PPE, plexiglass, air purifiers, etc.)
• Refinancing of debt incurred due to COVID-19 (including state of Delaware HELP loans)
• Technological enhancements undertaken in order to adapt business model for COVID-19
• Advertising efforts undertaken as a result of COVID-19
• Fixed expenses the applicant accrued during COVID-19

Certain industries are afforded a broader use of the grant proceeds. Per the program, industries identified as having been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic are allowed to use grant proceeds for any fixed cost incurred or planned to occur from April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

By the end of 2021, all for-profit businesses that received a grant must submit proof of all relevant expenditures, along with federal tax returns for calendar year 2020 that show at least a 7.5% revenue decrease relative to 2019. If a decrease of at least 7.5% is not shown, the grant must be paid back to the State of Delaware with interest applied.

You can read the press release from Gov. Carney’s office on the new grant program for additional details.

BLS will continue to send important updates as information becomes available. Please be sure to visit our COVID-19 Resource Center for additional details and past communications. You can reach out to your BLS Team Member or email us at info@belfint.com with any questions.

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