City of Huntington, Indiana

City of Huntington COVID-19 Grant Program

for small businesses

Program Announcement: June 22, 2020

Application Period Opens: June 29, 2020 at 8:00 AM

General Information

The City of Huntington through funding provided by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is proud to announce a small business grant program. On March 19, Governor Holcomb took additional actions to protect and support Hoosiers during the COVID-19 outbreak with Executive Order20-05. This order directs multiple state agencies on the expectations of providing support and protection to Hoosiers across the State. The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) has therefore  determined that Community Development Block Grant funds may be redirected to assist with COVID-19 needs based on guidance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The City of Huntington secured $250,000 in funding from this reallocation to assist supporting local small businesses financially with their immediate needs related to COVID-19. The maximum award per business/application under this local grant program is $10,000.00.

Permitted Uses of Grant Funds

Applicants may use COVID-19 Response Program grants to retain LMI (Low-Moderate Income) jobs through the following activities:

• Working capital including rent and other day-to-day expenses
• Continuing operations
• Supporting remote work

Application Process

Hard copies of applications will be accepted at the Community Development & Redevelopment office on the 2nd floor of the City Building starting at 8:00 AM on June 22, 2020.  An overview of the program, application and all required forms are available here.

Step 1: Read the Program Overview

•  The program overview document may be found here

Step 2: Complete the Application

• Make sure to fill out the application completely and accurately.
• Attach supporting documentation, including your most recent business entity report and income surveys verifying LMI status.
• Create a compelling case for the grant and pay close attention to the evaluation factors listed in the overview.
• Contact the Department with any questions that you may have.

Step 3: Complete required verification checks

• Business was in operation as of January 1, 2020.
• Is a for-profit business with a physical location within the City of Huntington.
• Detail that sources and uses for the grant funds are legitimate.
• Detail that the business has or will suffer a hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Verify that the use of the funds do not conflict with any other awarded funds, such as the Payroll Protection Program (PPP).
• Distribute and collect completed income verification from each employee utilizing Income Survey form.
• Complete FTE form for all employees.

Step 4: Submit signed application and supporting documents

• The application period opens at 8:00 am on June 22, 2020.
• All applications and supporting documentation must be submitted in hard copy form to the Department.

Grant Evaluation Factors

Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis and are subject to the availability of funding and the criteria listed below.  Grant awards made be made in an amount less than originally requested based on demands.  All decisions by the Grant Review Committee are final and once all program funding has been exhausted, the program will be closed.  The Grant Review Committee will prioritize applications that show the greatest need due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are at risk of LMI job losses based on the following scoring point criteria below (maximum 30 points):

Business Status:

Closed = 5 pts
Partially Open = 3 pts
Open as Normal = 1 pts

Employee Count:

<15 Employees = 5 pts
16-25 Employees = 3 pts
>25 Employees = 1 pts

Other State or Federal Loans or Grants:

Have not received any other state or federal assistance = 5 pts
Have received State or federal non-forgivable loan = 3 pts
Have received State or federal grant or forgivable loan = 1 pts

Employee LMI Representation:

100% LMI Persons = 5 pts
75%-99% LMI Persons = 3 pts
51%-74% LMI Persons = 1 pts     

Average weekly expenses exceed average weekly revenue (March 15, 2020 calculations):

Exceeds by 100% = 5 pts
Exceeds by 75%-99% = 4 pts
Exceeds by 50%-74% = 3 pts
Exceeds by 25%-49% = 2 pts
Exceeds by 0%-24% = 1 pts   

Cash reserve amount offsets average weekly deficiencies (March 15, 2020 calculations):

Offsets for < 1 months = 5 pts
Offsets for 1-2 months = 4 pts
Offsets for 2-3 months = 3 pts
Offsets for 3-4 months = 2 pts
Offsets for > 4 months = 1 pts

FAQ: This section will be updated after the grant period opens with answers to frequently asked questions, applicants are encouraged to check back prior to submission of their application.

Q: For the purposes of this grant, what is the difference between a microenterprise and a traditional business?
A: Per HUD, A microenterprise is a commercial enterprise that has five or fewer employees and one or more of the employees owns the enterprise - employees may be independent contractors and receive a 1099  If the business only has one employee and that employee is also an owner - it is qualified as a microenterprises.  In a traditional business structure there may be more than 5 employees, all employees will receive a W-2. 

Q: I operate a sole proprietorship and do not have to file Business Entity Reports with the Indiana Secretary of State, what do i need to do differently since the application requires the latest Business Entity Report be submitted?
A: Omit including that if your business operates as a sole proprietorship.

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