Greene County small businesses can now apply for financial assistance from the American Rescue Plan Act, known as ARPA. The federal aid is part of an ongoing effort to keep small businesses from suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Greene County is receiving $56.9 million in ARPA funds from the federal government, and the Greene County Commission has allocated $8 million of that money for small businesses.
Small businesses can apply for the first round of funding through May 31. Funds are expected to go toward efforts that prevent revenue loss—like covering payroll or utilities costs. The money can also be used to make changes to a business’s facilities for preventing Covid-19, like setting up partitions or contactless pay methods.
Springfield businessman Lyle Foster has helped oversee the allocation of federal aid in Greene County throughout the pandemic.
“There are still businesses that, although they’re open, their financial stability is still very precarious because they may have borrowed funds or they may have had loans or they may in some cases have gone into savings,” Foster said.
To be eligible for ARPA funding, businesses must be a for-profit or family-owned business that existed in Greene County before March 2020. Nonprofit organizations will have their own application window in the coming weeks, officials said.
You can find the other requirements for ARPA funds by going to www.greenecountymo.gov.