Business grants available; deadline Friday

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — The City of Wilmington and New Hanover County are joining together to provide grant money for businesses who were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on business.

The $4.5 million in the Hospitality, Retail, and Service Grants are available to local businesses in the county that meet program eligibility.

Grants will range from $10,000 to $50,000, and winners do not have to pay them back.

Qualifications:

• Business is independent, locally owned, and physically located in New Hanover County.
• Businesses need to have been in operation for six months prior to March 2020.
• One or more business owners is a New Hanover County resident.
• The business has more than one employee (including full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees).
• Businesses must have a valid Tax ID.
• The business has experienced layoffs, furloughs, expenditures, or loss of revenue due to COVID-19.
• Business or registered agent does not have a pending bankruptcy.
• Business is in good tax standing with all Federal, State, and local governments or has a payment plan in place prior to March 10, 2020, when Governor Roy Cooper declared a statewide state of emergency.
• Business is not a financial institution, non-profit, or home-based business.
• Business is not disbarred or suspended from working in North Carolina.

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 30.

The application is only nine questions, and applicants can fill it out online on the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce website.