Our Small Business Winter Survival Drive is underway!
Please read this page carefully, as conditions and eligibility requirements have changed.
Round 4 of the Relief fund (the current round) is intended to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a loss of revenue due to COVID-19. This latest effort is targeted to support most-impacted businesses, as determined by California regional stay-at-home order and Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Grant funds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as payroll, continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. Grant awards of $2500 or $5000, depending on business size:
- Sole proprietorships with no employees may receive $2500
- Other businesses may receive $5000
First time applicants will be prioritized. Eligible applicants will be entered into and selected through an automated system, screened by the Sierra Business Council and an ad hoc Small Business Team, and approved for funding by the Relief Fund’s Community Advisory Council.
Applications will be open from 4pm 12/16/2020 through 6pm 1/6/2021.
Eligibility Requirements
- Physically located in Nevada County
- Physical (brick-and-mortar) business located outside the home
- In business during 2019 (as indicated by a 2019 business tax return)
- 2019 annual gross revenue less than or equal to $2 million
- In one of the following most-impacted sectors (as determined by the California regional stay-at-home order and Blueprint for a Safer Economy):
- Indoor recreational facilities (including gyms)
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Personal care services
- Museums, zoos, and aquariums
- Movie theaters (except drive-in)
- Wineries, bars, breweries, and distilleries
- Family entertainment centers
- Property management and custodial services serving impacted industries
- Lodging (excluding short-term rentals)
- Restaurants
- Brick-and-mortar retail
- Live for-profit event venues
- In compliance with all state and local COVID-19 public health regulations and guidelines
- In good standing with the County of Nevada and its municipalities
- Not one of the following ineligible business types:
- Professional services (law, accounting, engineering)
- Construction businesses
- Real estate agents and independent brokers
- Independent vacation home businesses such as Airbnb or VRBO rentals
- Independent transportation businesses such as Uber or Lyft drivers
- Cannabis growers or related businesses
- Construction businesses
- Online retail operations
- Financial businesses primarily engaged in the business of lending, such as banks, finance companies, and factors (pawn shops, although engaged in lending, may qualify in some circumstances)
- Passive businesses owned by developers and landlords that do not actively use or occupy the assets acquired or improved with the loan proceeds (except Eligible Passive Companies under § 120.111)
- Life insurance companies
- Businesses located in a foreign country (businesses in the U.S. owned by aliens may qualify)
- Pyramid sale distribution plans and multi-level marketing businesses
- Businesses deriving more than one-third of gross annual revenue from legal gambling activities
- Businesses engaged in any illegal activity
- Private clubs and businesses which limit the number of memberships for reasons other than capacity
- Government-owned entities (except for businesses owned or controlled by a Native American tribe)
- Businesses principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs, whether in a religious or secular setting
- Loan packagers earning more than one-third of their gross annual revenue from packaging SBA loans
- Businesses with a Principal who is incarcerated, on probation, on parole, or has ever been charged or convicted for a felony criminal offense
- Businesses in which the Lender or CDC, or any of its Associates owns an equity interest
- Businesses presenting live performances of a prurient sexual nature
- Businesses deriving directly or indirectly more than de minimis gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature
- Unless waived by SBA for good cause, businesses that have previously defaulted on a Federal loan or Federally assisted financing, resulting in the Federal government or any of its agencies or Departments sustaining a loss in any of its programs, and businesses owned or controlled by an applicant or any of its Associates which previously owned, operated, or controlled a business which defaulted on a Federal loan (or guaranteed a loan which was defaulted) and caused the Federal government or any of its agencies or Departments to sustain a loss in any of its programs. For purposes of this section, a compromise agreement shall also be considered a loss
- Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities
- Speculative businesses (such as oil wildcatting)
- Any other business type not on the list of most-impacted sectors listed above