CARES Act Funding Phase III Available Beginning October 19

Governor Ron DeSantis, to stimulate the local economy, initially awarded $6.5 million in emergency relief funds to support the businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are available as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal stimulus package.  The County has already disbursed over $3.8 million of these funds to date. The Citrus County CARES Small Business Grant Program Phase III, approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, will provide recovery grants to eligible businesses adversely impacted by the COVID‐19 Pandemic.

The Citrus County CARES Small Business Grant Program Phase III electronic application link, www.citrusbocc.com/cares, goes live on Monday, October 19 at 8:00AM and the application period extends through Friday, November 6 at 5:00PM.

The program offers a grant to qualifying businesses to cover expenses such as employee wages, vendor bills and rent. The emergency relief is specifically targeted to help local businesses most impacted to cover immediate financial needs. Grants are strictly limited to businesses located physically within Citrus County, with a Business Tax Receipt (BTR) issued prior to 9/30/2020. Business must also demonstrate ongoing business operations as of February 29, 2020. The business is expected to be fully operational after local and state emergency guidelines are rolled back.

CARES Act Phase III eligibility:

To be eligible the business must be one of the following qualified categories, with a Business Tax Receipt (BTR) issued prior to 9/30/2020. Award amounts vary by category. Please check website for additional information at www.citrusbocc.com/cares.
A. Children, Elderly and Disabled Care Providers with Commercial Presence
B. Nursing Homes Licensed by the State.
C. State licensed non-emergency Medical Practices, dentist, physical therapists/occupational therapists, speech pathologists, audiologists and imaging centers with a commercial presence and less than 35 employees.
D. Boat Captains with a Commercial Real Estate Presence - excluding previously awarded
E. Boat Captains without a Commercial Real Estate Presence - excluding previously awarded
F. Entertainment - Musicians, Event Promoters, Photographers, Restaurant Suppliers, Bakers, Linen Services.
G. Court Reporters – excluding previously awarded
H. Auction Houses, Estate/Household Sales business
I. Home -based business – home repair/cleaning services
J. Additional funding to Phase I and Phase II awarded applicants (excluding Bars and Restaurants awarded additional funds as part of Phase I and II).

The on-line application will take approximately ten minutes and is simple to navigate. Please make application through the website beginning Monday, October 19, 2020 at www.citrusbocc.com/cares.  If you need additional assistance please contact the CARES support line at 352-527-5449.  Be patient when calling as we are anticipating high call volume the first week. If no one is available to answer your call, it will go to a dedicated voice mailbox.  The email address for additional information is cares@citrusbocc.com .

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.