Citrus County CARES Act funding available for qualifying small businesses to stimulate the local economy
The Citrus County CARES Small Business Grant Program, approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, will provide recovery grants of $7,500 to eligible small businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The intent of the grant is to offset the temporary loss of revenue and assist these businesses in their efforts to recover in the aftermath of this historic global pandemic. The program offers a $7,500 grant to qualifying small businesses to cover expenses such as employee wages, vendor bills and rent. The emergency relief is targeted specifically to help local businesses with a commercial location within Citrus County to cover immediate financial needs.
Grants are strictly limited to businesses located physically within Citrus County. Funds can only be used to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closures provided those costs are not paid by insurance or by another federal program.
"We are living in unprecedented times. While everyone has been impacted, we want to assist small businesses that have been impacted the most," said County Administrator Randy Oliver. "We recognize that the road to recovery is challenging, and this Cares Act Small Business Grant Program is one way local government can offer assistance."
The Citrus County CARES Small Business Grant Program began on Wednesday July 15 at 8:00 am. Applications will be submited electronic only, at www.citrusbocc.com/cares. The on-line application will take approximately ten minutes, and the form is simple to navigate.
A CARES support phone number has been created at 352-527-5449, to assist small business owners with questions pertaining to the grant and online application. Be patient, if calling, as we are anticipating high call volume. If no one is available to answer your call, it will go to a dedicated voice mailbox. The CARES Act funding is a critical part of Citrus County's commitment to keep our business community healthy and the local economy moving forward.