SAN ANTONIO – As small businesses struggle to survive in the economic downturn from the pandemic, hundreds are looking for help from a Bexar County grant program.
The deadline to apply for the $6.5 million worth of COVID-19 business grants is 5 p.m. Friday, Jun. 19. Though 425 businesses have already applied for the money through LiftFund, county staff say others still have time to throw their hat in the ring.
“It’s not a first come, first served-based program,” said Bexar County Director of Economic and Community Development Deborah Carter. “So even if they are able to get their application in at, you know, just at 4 o’clock on June 19, they’ll make it, and they could be pulled for the lottery.”
Micro businesses with up to five full-time employees can receive grants of up to $10,000, while small businesses with six to 10 employees are eligible for grants of up to $25,000. The money for the grants comes from coronavirus relief funds included in the CARES Act.
The amount of grant money available for each of the four precincts is based on how much each got through the first round of business assistance Bexar County provided.
So Precinct 1 on the South Side, which received the least money in the first round of help, has the most grant dollars available this time. It is the only precinct so far where applications have not exceeded the amount of money available.
Organizations in each precinct are available to help business owners with technical assistance:
- Precinct 1: Southside First
- Phone: (210) 718-8347
- Website: Southsidefirst.org
- Precinct 2: Westside Development Corporation
- Phone: (210) 598-8482
- Website: Westsidedevcorp.com
- Precinct 3: North San Antonio Chamber
- Phone: (210) 344-4848
- Website: Northsachamber.com
- Precinct 4: San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE)
- Phone: (210) 248-9178
- Website: Sagesa.org
GRANTS TIMELINE
- Jun. 8-Jun. 19: Applications Open
- Jun. 22: Application review
- Jun. 23: Lottery selection by precinct (if necessary)
- Jun. 23-Sep. 1: Assess application qualifications/verification
- Jun. 20-Dec. 30: Grants awarded
For information on the grant program and other Bexar County COVID-19 assistance for residents, visit Bexar.org/ecd.