New program to provide COVID-19-related relief to eligible businesses

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Richland County small business owners may be eligible to receive COVID-19 relief funding from a new grant program.  

The COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant program can provide up to $15,000 in reimbursable expenses to county businesses with 50 or fewer employees that can demonstrate pandemic-related revenue loss.  

Applications and guidelines are available at https://richlandcountysc.gov/cv19grant. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funding is dispersed. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $300,000 for the grant program, managed by Richland County’s Office of Small Business Opportunity and Community Planning and Development Department.  

“OSBO is very excited about the opportunity to offer financial assistance to small businesses that were affected by COVID-19,” Erica Wade, OSBO manager, said in a news release from the county. “We thrive on sustainability and capacity building. Being able to take advantage of this opportunity can assist with obtaining both.”  

Eligible businesses must have been in operation for a year before March 2021, among other requirements.  

For more information, call 803-576-1540 or email osbo@richlandcountysc.gov.