Brought to You by the Florida SBDC at UWF
Gulf Power, in partnership with the Florida SBDC at UWF, has created the Northwest Florida Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program. Gulf Power will fund the grant with a contribution of $250,000. The maximum grant amount is $5,000. Each applicant OR business can only receive one grant.
The Florida SBDC at UWF will assist eligible for-profit businesses with applying for the grant, UWF will distribute the appropriate funds to businesses who have been awarded the grant, and a third-party review board will be created to review applications. The review board will determine eligibility, and approve the award of grant funding to each applicant on a case-by-case basis using the parameters listed below.
The COVID-19 Grant is intended to assist for-profit businesses located in select Northwest Florida counties, and address their immediate cash flow needs as a result of demonstrated economic injury due to COVID-19.
IN ORDER TO QUALIFY YOUR BUSINESS MUST BE:
- A for-profit, privately held small businesses that maintains a place of business in select Northwest Florida Counties and established on, or before January 1, 2019. Eligible Northwest Florida Counties include Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Jackson, Washington, Calhoun, and Bay.
- Your business must have a physical location within the identified counties.
- Your business must have been profitable prior to the COVID-19 disaster as indicated in financial documents.
- The business must have a demonstrated reduction in sales revenues of 25% or more due to the loss of business income related to COVID-19. Must provide written justification of economic loss or injury caused as a result of the declared disaster, e.g. sales or income from a previous year compared to the current period. Please provide documentation of a reduction in sales revenues.
- A small business with 2 to 10 employees (must have documentation showing W-2’s or 1099’s).
The window for submission of applications opened on April 8 at 8:00 AM, and will be closed on April 14 at 5:00 PM CST. Please ensure that you have submitted a COMPLETED application package before the deadline. Applications will be available for download beginning April 6, but PLEASE NOTE applications sent in before the April 8 start will not be reviewed.
A complete application package will consist of the following:
- A completed loan application: Northwest Florida Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Grant Application
- 2019 Business Tax Return (If 2019 has not been filed then 2018 tax return).
- Profit & Loss Statements (P&L) for March 2019 and March 2020. In the absence of P&L, you may also submit Point of Sale (POS) or other sales reports.
- Employer form 941, W2s for two employees or 1099 paperwork for two workers.
- A copy of the primary applicant(s) driver’s license(s).
- Any other documentation supporting your claimed economic loss such as a lost/canceled orders report or evidence of customer refunds.
Note: Your application package will not be accepted unless it is complete. Please fill out the entire application form carefully and ensure that all your supporting documents are attached.
Steps to apply for the grant:
- Visit uwf.eduand submit a request for consulting. Remember to identify “NWF COVID-19 Grant” by name in the request form.
- Email your application package to ahaider@uwf.edu.
- If your application package is complete, you will receive an email notification that your application package has been accepted for review.
- If your application package is NOT complete, you will receive an email identifying mistakes and missing information. You are required to submit a complete package before the deadline in order to remain eligible for this grant.
- A decision to award or deny the grant will be made after the acceptance deadline has passed. You will be notified in writing of the grant decision.
If you require assistance in filling out your application form, please email Ayesha Haider at ahaider@uwf.edu.