The Unified Government Commission on Thursday night approved small business grants for Wyandotte County.
The grants are for up to $5,000. According to UG Administrator Doug Bach, there is no effect on the current budget, since the funding for the program has already been approved.
Now, however, the grants can be expedited and can be made available quickly to local businesses, according to UG officials.
Katherine Carttar, director of economic development for the UG, said the small business grant fund is $50,000. The UG has been allotting grants annually for small businesses, and made some changes Thursday because of COVID-19, she said.
The UG will loosen the eligibility standards for what the funds may be used for, she said. The grants now may be used for capital access, workforce capacity, inventory and supply shortfalls, facility remediation and cleanup costs, and marketing.
The UG will remove all application deadlines for the 2020 year, and will accept ongoing applications, she said.
Also, the UG is removing the requirement for matching funds, she said.
The maximum amount a business could apply for has been reduced to $5,000, Carttar said. Previously it was $10,000. This will allow the UG to increase the number of businesses it may assist, she said.
The need for documentation will remain in place, but the UG no longer will require financial projections, as it is something that is currently difficult to come up with, she added.
It was unanimously approved Thursday night, and the UG started accepting applications on Friday.
Bach said if the program is successful, the UG could ask the commission at a later date for additional funding.
Commissioner Tom Burroughs, who voted for the program, said the governor also has put in place a $5 million program to help small businesses across the state.
For more information, call 913-573-5439, email [email protected] or visit
wycokck.org/economic and https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/UG-Small-Business-Incentive-Program.pdf.