WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 is the deadline for small businesses in West Virginia to apply for a grant through the RISE West Virginia program. The state Department of Commerce has $1.5 million in grant money for small businesses who suffered losses in flooding earlier this year.
The June flooding created disaster in 12 West Virginia counties. These counties were declared disaster areas, with many small businesses facing financial disaster because most of them could not afford more loans to help them rebuild. Fortunately, the grant program is offering financial assistance to small businesses, most of whom are either sole proprietorships or have less than five or ten employees.
More than 100 applications were submitted in the first week of the grant program. So far, businesses in Greenbrier County have received more than $700,000 in funding, Nicholas County small businesses have been awarded $200,000, and small businesses in Kanawha County have received funding of more than $150,000. A total of 11 counties have awarded grants to small businesses.
The grants are up to $10,000 and can make a go/-no-go difference for most of the small businesses in the area. The money can be used for payroll, rent, replacing lost equipment and other efforts that help them recover.
Qualifying small businesses must apply by WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23.
Read more at wvmetronews.com/2016/11/21/wednesday-is-deadline-for-rise-west-virginia-small-business-grants-made-available-after-flood/