State and Federal Emergency Grant Opportunities to Know About
To help constituents navigate Federal and State COVID relief resources that are currently available or will become available soon, MSAC staff have compiled the following information. Please refer to linked pages for more information, and click here to find more information about MSAC’s current round of Emergency Grants with a submission deadline of April 1, 2021.
Federal Opportunity - Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG):
What to Know:
- Administered through the US Small Business Administration (SBA)
- The SBA will begin accepting SVOG applications on April 8, 2021. Access the SBA Grant Portal here.
- Register for the March 30th national SVOG webinar
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is frequently updated with further details and information
- A Preliminary Application Checklist is available to help you gather documents and other information that may be needed
- Use the Eligibility Requirements Chart to help determine qualifications
- The SBA Resource Partner Network provides advising and counseling services to help organizations prepare for funding opportunities like the SVOG, PPP and other business recovery needs. Find local assistance here.
- Want more information? Watch this webinar about the grant.
Federal Opportunity - National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
The recently passed American Rescue Plan (ARP) includes $135 million in funding to the NEA. The NEA is currently developing plans and policies for distribution. Please visit the NEA’s FAQ for the latest information on its plans for ARP funding.
State Opportunity - Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Entertainment Venues II
What to Know:
- Administered through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
- DHCD is accepting Entertainment Venue Applications now through April 2, 2021 at 5pm. Access the DHCD Grant Portal here.
- Details regarding eligibility may be found here.
- Questions should be directed to dhcd.mdrecoverynow@maryland.gov
State Opportunities - Maryland Department of Commerce
Commerce will provide funding through six new programs targeting specific groups of businesses. Three of these programs will be administered by Commerce, which expects to accept applications from March 30, 2021 to April 6, 2021.
- Small Business COVID RELIEF Grant Program - To support Maryland’s small businesses that face continued financial impacts from the Coronavirus, the state established the new Maryland Small Business Covid RELIEF Grant Program in 2021, through bipartisan legislation, with $10 million in state Relief Act funding.
- Small, Minority and Women Owned Business Administration COVID RELIEF Program - To support Maryland’s small businesses that face continued financial impacts from the Coronavirus, the state established the Maryland Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Administration COVID RELIEF Program in 2021, through bipartisan legislation, with $10 million in state Relief Act funding.
- Commuter and Shuttle Bus COVID RELIEF Grant Program - To support Maryland commuter and shuttle bus companies facing continued financial impacts from the Coronavirus, the state established the Maryland Commuter and Shuttle Bus COVID RELIEF Grant Program in 2021, through bipartisan legislation, with $8 million in state Relief Act funding. The grant is directed to those companies that were impacted by reduction of routes by the Maryland Transit Administration.
A note on funding for all Commerce-Administered COVID RELIEF Programs: Funding is extremely limited and may ultimately result in approval on a first-come, first-served basis. The application process will be open for a limited period, and Commerce anticipates substantial interest in these programs. We encourage you to apply as soon as applications become available.
Programs Administered Through Counties and Baltimore City
As available, links to county websites with details for applying for these programs will be posted to the Maryland COVID-19 Information for Business website (under “local programs”).
- Online Sales and Telework Assistance COVID RELIEF Grant Program - To support Maryland small businesses seeking to expand online sales and teleworking capabilities for their employees due to the continued financial impacts from the novel coronavirus, the the state established through bipartisan legislation the Maryland Online Sales and Telework Assistance COVID RELIEF Grant Program with $500,000 million in state Relief Act funding. Applications will be available through each county and Baltimore City.
- Restaurant and Caterers COVID RELIEF Grant Program - To support Maryland restaurants facing continued financial impacts from the novel coronavirus, the state established through bipartisan legislation the Maryland Restaurants and Caterers COVID Relief Grant Program. Commerce is providing $22 million to the local jurisdictions to provide relief for economically disadvantaged restaurants in their areas. Applications will be available through each county and Baltimore City.
- Lodging and Accommodations COVID RELIEF Grant Program - To support Maryland hotel, lodging and accommodation businesses facing continued financial impacts from the novel coronavirus, the state established through bipartisan legislation the Maryland Lodging and Accommodations COVID Relief Grant Program. Commerce is providing $10 million to the local jurisdictions to provide relief for economically disadvantaged lodging and accommodation businesses in their areas. Applications will be available through each county and Baltimore City.
The information on this page is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. The State of Maryland disclaims liability for any errors or omissions.