Treasure Coast Sun

Small businesses in Port St. Lucie impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have the opportunity to access financial resources to aid in their recovery. The City, in collaboration with the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College, has introduced the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program.

The grant program, which provides assistance to eligible businesses financially affected by the pandemic, offers grants of up to $10,000 per approved applicant. As of mid-March, 23 applicants have already been approved for grants, with approximately $165,000 still available for distribution.

Applicants are advised that completed applications will be processed in the order they are received. The Port St. Lucie Neighborhood Services Department will notify eligible applicants about the status of their application and any further steps required for processing.

The program targets small businesses in low- to moderate-income Census tract areas or individual business owners whose household income falls within the low or moderate income bracket. Priority will be given to applications from businesses that have not previously received COVID-19 relief funding.

To be eligible for the grant, businesses must meet certain criteria, including having between 0-50 employees, being in operation before the COVID-19 pandemic, and being current on their federal, state, county, and city taxes. Additionally, applicants must be registered with the Florida Division of Corporations.

Applicants are encouraged to review the City's Program Guide thoroughly before applying and can seek assistance from the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College for any queries regarding the program guide and eligibility criteria.

For technical assistance with the online application process, applicants can reach out to ZoomGrants. Representatives from the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College are also available to assist residents in submitting and getting their applications approved.

The initiative aims to support small businesses in Port St. Lucie during these challenging times and contribute to their financial recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.