SAN ANTONIO – The double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic and street construction projects is why the City of San Antonio is offering $17 million in federal COVID relief funds to local businesses that meet certain criteria.
The specific guidelines are detailed on the city’s website.
Caitlan Cowart, the small business manager for COSA Economic Development, said there is one application for the COVID-19 relief grants of up to $35,000, “depending on what their gross revenue loss was in 2021 compared to 2019.”
She said the construction supplement of $10,000 is an add-on to the regular grant.
“They cannot receive the construction impact supplement by itself,” Cowart said.
By first qualifying for the COVID-19 relief funds grant, Cowart said business owners would be automatically considered for the supplement if their business is within a one-mile radius of the street construction projects listed on the city’s website, which began between September 2019 and December 2021.
Cowart said the projects were included in the city’s 2017-2022 Bond Program.
She said how the grant funds would be used would be up to the business owners, depending on their specific needs.
Cowart said the application is straightforward, but certain documents will be required since these are federal monies.
But with the deadline of 5 p.m. Monday fast approaching, Cowart said there are business development organizations listed on the website that can work one-on-one with technical assistance, questions about the application process, or whatever questions business owners may have.
She said they can also call 800-923-9551.
Cowart said after the application period ends, LiftFund, a longtime nonprofit micro-lender administering the grants, will begin the scoring process. She said the first allotment of businesses would be notified starting mid-September and continuing through mid-December.
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