NEW COVID-19 Relief Programs

Kansas is receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in federal CARES Act funding to help Kansans cope with COVID-19. The Kansas Department of Commerce is administering several programs to get portions of this money into the hands of businesses who need it most. Kansas’ “Back to Business” program is described at www.kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief/. It provides working capital grants for businesses whose revenues have dropped by more than 25% as a result of the pandemic. “Back to Business” also helps companies which have retooled their business model to cope with new health and safety restrictions and to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Please take a few minutes to read the program over and consider whether your business could benefit from one or more of these new grants.

BUT TIME IS SHORT!

The Department of Commerce begins accepting online applications this Wednesday, August 19, at noon. These funds are limited and will be awarded on a first-come/first eligible basis. So we are encouraging every business and non-profit to go through the materials at https://www.kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief/ and prepare to submit their application at the stroke of noon on Wednesday.

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In September, Shawnee County will also be accepting requests for grants to address the impacts of COVID-19 in Shawnee County. The County set aside $5.5 M in its CARES Act spending plan for awards to community programs. The scope of programs eligible to receive this County-level funding is broad provided they: address COVID-19; were not already covered in the requesting organization’s budget; and can be spent by December 30, 2020. These restrictions are contained within the federal CARES Act. Efforts are underway to change that law to give local groups more time to invest these relief funds wisely, rather than spend them hurriedly to meet a statutory deadline.

The CARES Act has many moving parts and those parts are moving fast. For now, please go to www.kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief/ and see what might work for your business.