Is COVID-19 killing your business? Miami grant can help pay rent and salaries
Small businesses in Miami that have lost money because of the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible to receive up to $20,000 to help cover rent, utilities and employee salaries through a new city grant.
The city says that about 250 small businesses are expected to be helped with the “Business Assistance Grant Program,” which will be reimbursed by Miami-Dade County using federal CARES Act dollars. Under federal rules, the money must be spent by Dec. 31.
Applications for the program became available to download starting at 9 a.m. Friday on the city’s website and will be accepted until the money runs out or the program closes.
Miami’s business COVID-19 relief grant: What it covers
For-profit and not-for-profit businesses that apply and qualify will be eligible to receive funds equal to 20% of the business’ annual gross revenue last year (2019), with a maximum amount of $20,000. Businesses that have an annual revenue exceeding $1 million cannot apply.
The one-time grant money must be used to cover operational expenses such as rent and employee salaries that occurred on or after March 1, 2020, which is when Florida announced its first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
The grant money can also be used to cover other operational expenses including but not limited to licenses, insurance, inventory, COVID-prevention supplies like masks, and cleaning and sanitizing services. The funds can also be used to cover select utility costs such as electricity, internet, cable, water and sewer.
The funds will not cover cellphone or telephone bills and will not cover expenses that were already paid by other federal, state or local COVID-19 relief programs. The program also cannot pay for future anticipated expenses.
Here’s what else you need to know if you want to apply:
Who can apply for Miami’s Business Assistance COVID-19 Relief Program?
For-profit and not-for-profit businesses that are currently open in the city of Miami and make an annual revenue less than $1 million are eligible to apply.
The program also states that businesses that would be open if no mandatory closure orders were in place can also apply. This means that if a COVID-19 surge forces non-essential businesses to close again, they can still apply for the grant.
However, before you start filling out the application, make sure your business is located within the city of Miami. You can do this by using the Property Search feature on the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser website:
https://www.miamidade.gov/Apps/PA/propertysearch/#/
Type in your business address and click search. If the business “folio” number that appears starts with “01” it is in Miami city limits and means you can apply for the program.
I’m a Miami business owner. How can I apply for COVID-19 relief?
Interested business owners can download and print the application at https://www.miamigov.com/Residents/Housing/Business-Assistance-Grant
You will need to fill out the application, including an affidavit and acknowledgment form that must be notarized, make copies of the requested documents and put everything inside one sealed envelope or package. And make sure you clearly wrote your email in the application, in block print (not cursive), so the city can contact you.
Once the envelope or package is ready, you can drop it off 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at the drop box inside the lobby of the city’s Department of Housing & Community Development, 14 NE First Ave.
Because it is going into a drop box, no postage is necessary.
Oh, and keep in mind that just because you apply for the program does not guarantee eligibility or assistance.
What type of proof do I need to show?
Besides completing the application, you will also need to show the city proof that your business is in the city and that it lost revenue because of the pandemic. Some of the supporting documents you are expected to show include but are not limited to:
▪ A Florida-issued picture ID for the person who is applying on behalf of the business.
▪ 2019 federal income tax returns and proof of DUNS Number.
▪ A copy of up-to-date city of Miami-issued Certificate of Use and Local Business Tax Receipt Cards and proof of income loss or reduction in income after March 1, 2020. This would include a quarterly Profit A Loss (P&L) statement from January-March 2020 and from April-June 2020 or business bank statements from January to June 2020 showing the loss of revenue.
How do I know if my application was approved? What if I forgot to include a required document?
The city says you will be contacted by email once your submission has been reviewed and that applications will be processed on a first-come, first-ready, first-serve basis.
What does this mean?
If you’re the first person to submit the application but you forgot to include one of the supporting documents, the city will notify you so it can be fixed. However, the staff will continue reviewing other submitted applications, which means you’ll keep getting bumped down the list until your submission is complete.
Translation: Don’t run on Miami time.
Miami Herald staff writer Joey Flechas contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
