More county money available to help businesses impacted by COVID-19
SCOEDD Press Release
Wed May 19 2021 07:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Klamath County has more than $600,000 in additional funding to address COVID-19 impacts on local businesses, and it’s eager to distribute it.
Klamath County has more than $600,000 in additional funding to address COVID-19 impacts on local businesses, and it’s eager to distribute it.
According to a news release from the South Central Oregon Economic Development District, the county received $602,773 in funding made available by Governor Kate Brown’s office and the state legislature during the most recent reinstatement of extreme risk status on many counties.
Klamath County entered extreme risk for approximately a week at the end of April, forcing it to cease indoor dining and greatly reduce capacity at other businesses. The governor’s office announced $20 million in statewide aid to businesses impacted by that round of restrictions, and allocated it to counties to distribute.
In order to qualify for this grant, the release said businesses must principally operate out of Klamath County and have fewer than 100 full-time employees. Additional eligibility requirements are outlined in the grant application.
Businesses will be eligible for $5,000-$10,000 grants if they incurred expenses due to pandemic-related “infrastructure projects” like expanded outdoor dining options (pedlets, tables, etc.), according to the release. Though expenses for such projects that have not yet been incurred do not qualify.
SCOEDD will begin accepting grant applications on Thursday, May 20, and will prioritize businesses that did not receive prior grant funding from the district. After June 3, all businesses within Klamath County will be eligible for the remaining (if any) grant funds. The grant program will continue through December 31, or until all funds are depleted.
“Supporting small businesses is part of SCOEDD’s core mission and we hope this funding gets to those that have struggled over the past year,” said Betty Riley, executive director of SCOEDD.
Applications for the grant program can be found on the SCOEDD website: www.scoedd.org.