CRA Disaster Assistance Grant Program for Small Businesses
On June 29, 2020 the City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board approved $250,000 in grant funds to assist small businesses located in the Greater Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area (GFS District) affected by COVID-19. The program criteria and application are provided below. Applications must be submitted electronically; no paper applications will be accepted. Grants of $2,000 will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the $250,000 has been committed.
Please ensure you have uploaded all required supporting documentation to your application submission. If you need assistance or have any questions please contact the City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) at 850-891-8357 or by e-mail at CRADisasterGrant@talgov.com.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to qualify for grant assistance from the CRA, the recipient must satisfy all the following requirements:
- The business must be located within the boundary of the Greater Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment District (GFS District). Mobile businesses that operate from an address in the GFS District and have appropriate business documentation (see #3 below) are eligible to apply. Verify you are in the GFS District.
- Cannot have received COVID-19 Economic Development Relief (CEDR) funds from the Tallahassee/Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (OEV).
- Be a for profit corporation/business located within the boundary of the GFS District (Corporate, Regional, Division, Registered Office or Franchise) and registered with the Florida Division of Corporations; a sole proprietor with a registered fictitious name and registered with the Department of State; a sole proprietor who does not have a fictitious and is registered with either the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or the Florida Department of Revenue; federal tax returns indicating the business operates as either proprietorship or partnership; or other documentation accepted in writing by the CRA.
- The business must have been in business prior to March 18, 2020.
- Have at least one employee but fewer than 50 employees.
- Pledge in good faith to remain in business for at least 45 days following the receipt of the CRA disaster assistance grant funding.
- Grant funds cannot be used for assistance to complete the application.
- Applications must be submitted electronically; paper applications will not be accepted. Staff can assist with application submittals.
Application
Selection Criteria
CRA disaster assistance grant recipients will be selected solely on the eligibility requirements above and available funding. Each grant applicant will be screened for compliance with the eligibility requirements on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis by CRA and City staff or other persons designated by the CRA Executive Director.
Grants will be made in the form of lump sum distributions of $2,000 to approved grant recipients.
Payments will be made to the applicant through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network within 10 days of an approved application.
Each grant recipient will be required to provide CRA with documentation that the grant was used in a manner consistent with the terms of the grant. All data submitted may be subject to Public Records Laws unless there is a statutory exemption.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster #: FL-00152
Effective Date: Upon approval
Incident Period: March 18, 2020 – Ongoing (per emergency declaration)