City of Fitchburg COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Grant Program

The City of Fitchburg has developed an emergency relief package for small businesses in jeopardy as a result of COVID-19 public safety measures.

This program is funded through the Community Development Block Grant Program. Certain eligibility criteria must be met in order to be eligible for this funding source.

Assistance with the application:
If you have questions or concerns, or otherwise need assistance to complete the application, please contact Liz Murphy at Lmurphy@fitchburgma.gov or 978-829-1897.

Eligibility:

Must be a Fitchburg business impacted by COVID-19 and/or the public health and safety measures, including, but not limited to: restaurants, coffee shops, bars, entertainment, retail, salons, barber shops.
Must be a for-profit business.
Must have documentable business income loss
Must not have another source of funding assistance to pay for expenses submitted in this application. (this is called duplication of benefits and is prohibited)
Must have BUSINESS mortgage/lease obligations.

Eligibility Continued'

Must meet CDBG requirements by qualifying as either:
A business creating or retaining jobs
This means-A business with any number of employees greater than zero, (not including the business owner) where the employee(s) are in jeopardy of losing their job due to COVID-19 AND the business commits to either, retaining the employee(s) because of assistance or hires employee(s)within a reasonable period when normal business resumes. Qualifying employees must have household incomes below 80% of AMI and/or new jobs must be made available to households below 80% of AMI. (see the income limits under microenterprise).
OR
A microenterprise business
This means a business with five employees or less including the owner AND owner must earn a household annual income of equal to or less than 80% of the area median income.

80% Area Median Income limits are as follows:

1 Person HouseHold	2 Person HH	3 Person HH	4 Person HH	5 Person HH	6 Person HH	7 Person HH	8 Person HH
$47,850	$54,650	$61,500	$68,300	$73,800	$79,250	$84,700	$90,200

The City of Fitchburg will give preference to:

Businesses who have or will imminently have to lay off employees.
Businesses with an existing loan with the City of Fitchburg’s small business program.
Businesses that involve assembly or personal contact any nature.
Businesses with a separate location (not home based).
Businesses that have applied for other local, state or federal assistance and still need our assistance to cover costs.
Businesses with high fixed expenses.

Assistance is in the form of a grant. Grant will require repayment only if terms of grant agreement are not met.

The following industries are ineligible for funding:

Real Estate
Multi-Level Marketing
Adult Entertainment
Cannabis
Firearms
Social Clubs

Business Owner Information

Question Title

* 1. Business Owner Contact Information

Business Name

Owner Name

Owner Address

Address 2

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

Cell Phone Number

Question Title

* 2. As business owner, do you also work in the business?

Yes

Question Title

* 3. Is this business income your only source of income?

Yes

Question Title

* 4. Please explain other sources of income.

Business Information

Question Title

* 5. Type of Business

Question Title

* 6. Your business must have a Business Certificate/DBA, or be registered with the secretary of state as a Corporation, Limited Liability Company, or Limited Liability Partnership, Cooperative. Please check your designation.

City Business Certificate/DBA

Corporation

Limited Liability Partnership

Limited Liability Corporation

Cooperative

None of the Above

Question Title

* 7. Address

Business Address

Address 2

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Phone Number

Property Owner

Question Title

* 8. Contact Information

Property Owner Name

Address

Address 2

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Question Title

* 9. If your business is open, please provide a copy of your COVID Response Plan. I understand my application is not complete without this.

I will email this to Lmurphy@fitchburgma.gov within 24 hours

I do not have a COVID Plan

My business is closed, I do not need a COVID Plan

Question Title

* 10. If your business is a home-based day care, please provide a copy of your license to operate from the State

I will email this to Lmurphy@fitchburgma.gov within 24 hours

I do not have a license

Question Title

* 11. If your business is home-based, please provide total square footage of your home, and square footage of the business portion of your home.

total square footage of your home

total square footage of the area used for your business.

Funding Criteria

Question Title

* 12. There are two categories of business that qualify for this assistance. Your business can either be a:
-Microenterprise, where your household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), you work at the business, and have no more than 4 additional employees or;
- You will use these funds to either retain employees who have household incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) or you will create jobs available to employees with household incomes at or below 80% of AMI when business normalizes.

Do you qualify as a Microenterprise business or for Job Retention/Creation.

80% Area Median Income limits are as follows:

Microenterprise

Job Retention/Job Creation

I do not qualify as either.

Question Title

* 13. Using the chart above, are you a low- or moderate-income business owner?
(Moderate Income is defined as a household income of less than or equal to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), based on the number of persons in the household.

Yes

Question Title

* 14. What was your business annual income from your most recent tax return? We understand it may be very different from than this year.

Question Title

* 15. What is your current household annual income? Please include income from all members of the household.

Question Title

* 16. How many people live in your household? Household income questions help us determine if you qualify as a "microenterprise."

Question Title

* 17. Using the chart above, do any of your employees qualify as low- or moderate-income?

Yes

Question Title

* 18. Are you a citizen or otherwise legally residing in the county ? Please note documentation will be required.

Yes

If you answered "no" to both, question 13 and question 17, or question 18, you may not be eligible. Please send an email to Lmurphy@fitchburgma.gov to verify your eligibility before you proceed.

Question Title

* 19. Prior to the COVID-19 restrictions, how many people did your business employ (including yourself)?

Question Title

* 20. How many employees were full-time?

Question Title

* 21. How many employees were part time?

Question Title

* 22. What are the average hours per week for part time employees, as of now?

Question Title

* 23. How many employees have the following benefits:

Sick Time

Vacation Time

Employer-Provided Health Insurance

Question Title

* 24. Have you had to lay off any employees?

Yes

If so, how many?

Question Title

* 25. Do you anticipate future layoffs?

Yes

If yes, will you rehire employees after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted?

Question Title

* 26. How many people do you currently employ, as of today?

Monthly Expenses

Question Title

* 27. Fixed Expenses - per month

Mortgage/Lease

Utilities

Debt Obligations

Insurance

Other (please describe)

Question Title

* 28. Variable Expenses - use most recent month

Payroll

Payroll Taxes

Employee Benefits

Cost of Goods

Other- (please describe)

Question Title

* 29. What was your monthly gross revenue, on average, before this crisis?

Estimated Adverse Impact

Question Title

* 30. What is your monthly gross revenue, on average, now?

Question Title

* 31. Please provide a brief explanation of what adverse economic impacts COVID-19 has had on your business:

Question Title

* 32. Grant Request - please itemize your total grant need, but expect grants to be $2500 at this time.

item 1 expense description

item 1 amount

item 2 expense description

item 2 amount

item 3 expense description

item 3 amount

item 4 expense description

item 4 amount

item 5 expense description

item 5 amount

total amount needed

Question Title

* 33. Have you received other business assistance funding (including grants and loans) for these itemized needs listed above? If yes, please explain

Question Title

* 34. Have you applied for any other forms of assistance? We strongly encourage you to apply for other assistance if your needs exceed our $2500 grant in this uncertain time.

SBA Economic Injury Disastster Loans https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela

North Central Ma Development Corp. Emergency Micro loans emergency micro loan

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 35. Certifications

I certify the information here is true and accurate under pains and penalties of perjury

I have a copy of my most recent tax returns and will provide them to the City of Fitchburg upon request.

I certify that I am a citizen or otherwise in this county legally and will provide documentation of this.

I understand I will be required to provide proof of legal residency/citizenship status, and may be required to provide income documentation, and other documents in order to qualify for the assistance.

Name and Date

City of Fitchburg COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Grant Program

Question Title

* 1. Business Owner Contact Information

Question Title

* 2. As business owner, do you also work in the business?

Question Title

* 3. Is this business income your only source of income?

Question Title

* 4. Please explain other sources of income.

Question Title

* 5. Type of Business

Question Title

* 6. Your business must have a Business Certificate/DBA, or be registered with the secretary of state as a Corporation, Limited Liability Company, or Limited Liability Partnership, Cooperative. Please check your designation.

Question Title

* 7. Address

Question Title

* 8. Contact Information

Question Title

* 9. If your business is open, please provide a copy of your COVID Response Plan. I understand my application is not complete without this.

Question Title

* 10. If your business is a home-based day care, please provide a copy of your license to operate from the State

Question Title

* 11. If your business is home-based, please provide total square footage of your home, and square footage of the business portion of your home.

Question Title

Question Title

Question Title

* 13. Using the chart above, are you a low- or moderate-income business owner? (Moderate Income is defined as a household income of less than or equal to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), based on the number of persons in the household.

Question Title

* 14. What was your business annual income from your most recent tax return? We understand it may be very different from than this year.

Question Title

* 15. What is your current household annual income? Please include income from all members of the household.

Question Title

* 16. How many people live in your household? Household income questions help us determine if you qualify as a "microenterprise."

Question Title

Question Title

* 17. Using the chart above, do any of your employees qualify as low- or moderate-income?

Question Title

* 18. Are you a citizen or otherwise legally residing in the county ? Please note documentation will be required.

Question Title

* 19. Prior to the COVID-19 restrictions, how many people did your business employ (including yourself)?

Question Title

* 20. How many employees were full-time?

Question Title

* 21. How many employees were part time?

Question Title

* 22. What are the average hours per week for part time employees, as of now?

Question Title

* 23. How many employees have the following benefits:

Question Title

* 24. Have you had to lay off any employees?

Question Title

* 25. Do you anticipate future layoffs?

Question Title

* 26. How many people do you currently employ, as of today?

Question Title

* 27. Fixed Expenses - per month

Question Title

* 28. Variable Expenses - use most recent month

Question Title

* 29. What was your monthly gross revenue, on average, before this crisis?

Question Title

* 30. What is your monthly gross revenue, on average, now?

Question Title

* 31. Please provide a brief explanation of what adverse economic impacts COVID-19 has had on your business:

Question Title

* 32. Grant Request - please itemize your total grant need, but expect grants to be $2500 at this time.

Question Title

* 33. Have you received other business assistance funding (including grants and loans) for these itemized needs listed above? If yes, please explain

Question Title

* 34. Have you applied for any other forms of assistance? We strongly encourage you to apply for other assistance if your needs exceed our $2500 grant in this uncertain time.

Question Title

* 35. Certifications

* 13. Using the chart above, are you a low- or moderate-income business owner?
(Moderate Income is defined as a household income of less than or equal to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), based on the number of persons in the household.