FLORENCE-Mayor Steve Holt, Florence Council Members, and the Planning & Community Development Department are pleased to announce a new program designed to provide relief to small, local business owners in Florence from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary goal of the “Florence First Relief Grant” is to offer special economic support to local businesses and provide assistance with a variety of expenditures such as mortgage or lease payments, utilities, payroll administration, and business inventory expenses.
Mayor Steve Holt
Mayor Steve Holt conveyed his gratitude to our businesses, “This is an opportunity that I am so excited about for our citizens and businesses. The City Council and Mayor’s Office are pro-business. The grant funding is a way for us to give back to those businesses that have invested their lives and resources into our community. We thank you!”
“Nearly half of the American workforce is employed by a small, local business. It is no secret these businesses are foundational to
Melissa Bailey
keeping our community, neighborhoods, and economy running strong. It is also no secret the multiple challenges these businesses are facing right now, and that every dollar counts,” expressed Planning & Community Development Director Melissa Bailey. The funding under the CARES Act allows “Florence First” to provide cost reimbursement grants to as many small, local businesses as possible to help bridge the gap during this extraordinary time. “This is a wonderful program as the funds can be used to offset operational costs. A great portion of my district consists of the downtown business, and this is a very valuable tool to help during this crisis,” remarked Council President Dick Jordan.
Important Dates regarding the Florence First Relief Grant Program
Application Webinar Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 2:00 pm
Application Submittal Period Opens Friday, May 8, 2020, at 6:00 am
Application Submittal Period Closes Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 5:00 pm
Notification of Award begins via e-mail Friday, May 22, 2020
All information about the Florence First program is available on our website: florenceal.org.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Evaluators will utilize the following project scoring criteria for the purposes of making a funding recommendation. Scoring will also help determine priority of project applications in the likely event requests exceed funding availability. The highest scoring projects will be recommended for funding.
| I. Fundamental Eligibility
The Business must meet each of the Fundamental Eligibility criteria in order to forward in the evaluation. Failure to meet one or more criteria will immediate disqualify the Business. o Located within the City of Florence municipal limits. o Hold a current, valid City of Florence Business License. o Is not delinquent on any federal, state, or local payments, fines, etc. o Completely answered each question on the application indicating N/A for questions which may not pertain to the Business or Owner. o Provided all required documentation. o Submitted all required documentation prior to the deadline. |
☐ Yes
☐ No |
| II. Capacity and Experience to Operate the Business (0-20 points)
Applicant has demonstrated capacity to operate the business sustainably. Consider project status, industry experience, and business development classes and resources. |
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| III. Readiness to Proceed (0-20 points)
The Business has a thoroughly demonstrated a proof of need and is immediately prepared to submit |
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| IV. Infectious Disease Response (0-20 points)
Business has demonstrated severe impact by the policies put into effect due to the coronavirus pandemic. |
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| V. Job/Employee retention (0-50 points)
Awarded based on a percentage of jobs/employees retained includes owners: o 100% of all FTE and PTE jobs/employees retained – award 50 points o 75% of all FTE and PTE jobs/employees retained – award 37 points o 50% of all FTE and PTE jobs/employees retained – award 25 points o 25% of all FTE and PTE jobs/employees retained – award 12 points |
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| VI. Webinar Participation Bonus (10 points)
Available to applicants participating in the program webinar held on May 7. No application will lose points for failure to participate. |
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| VII. Date and Time Stamp Rank
Where more applications than funding available are received and such applications are equal in scoring, or as deemed necessary by the Evaluators, applications may be ranked based upon the date and time stamp of receipt in order to determine final funding recommendations. |
APPLICATION BUDGET: WHAT’S ELIGIBLE?
The budget portion of the Florence First grant is found at question 29 of the application. It is in this section you will provide two (2) months of fixed cost expenditures. The section looks like this:
THE FOLLOWING EXPENDITURES SHOULD BE INCLUDED UNDER EACH CATEGORY:
A. Payroll Expenses
- Costs associated with completing payroll for your employees each month such as consulting or contracting fees to an accountant or bookkeeper.
- Worker’s Compensation Insurance
- Do not include actual salaries of any employees including yourself in this category.
B. Rent/Mortgage Expenses
- Rent or mortgage payment made monthly to a landlord or financial institution.
- You may include property insurance, but not liability or health insurance.
C. Utilities Expenses
- Expenses for electricity, water, and/or gas service
- Expenses for telephone, cable, and/or internet service
D. Inventory Management Expenses
- Expenses associated with warehousing merchandise off-site
- Expenses for point of sale service fees
E. Other
- This category is included for very rare situations. Applicants should consult with the Department of Planning and Community Development at cdbg@florenceal.org before utilizing this category.
https://florenceal.org/departments/planning_and_community_development/florence_first.php
Media Release/Rachel Mansell Koonce/City of Florence/Media & Sustainability
