More than 2,200 businesses and nonprofits have been promised grants totaling $19.6 million from Montgomery County’s $25 million business and nonprofit grant program.
The county’s Public Health Emergency Grant program is providing up to $75,000 apiece to businesses and nonprofits that have 100 employees or fewer and have lost revenue from the health crisis.
Of the grant funds, $10 million was set aside specifically for restaurants and retail shops. Around $5 million of those funds remain.
More than 520 of the 2,214 businesses and nonprofits that were approved for grants have received payments. They range from $100 to $12,500.
“The review process has entered into a funnel situation where all the approvals are going through our Finance (Accounts Payable) team and they are handling the volume as fast as possible,” Jerome Fletcher, an assistance chief administrative officer for the county, told Bethesda Beat in an email on Monday . “We anticipate [funding more] bank accounts as soon as possible.”
Awardees are being given grants of up to $10,000. They also are getting telework grants of up to $2,500 to help cover costs associated with having employees work remotely.
County employees have finished preliminary reviews of more than 6,200 applications to the program. Applications are undergoing secondary reviews to determine if awardees are eligible for more funds.
Fletcher said a list of awardees and their grant amounts would be provided once the program is completed.
Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@moco360.media.