City of Hercules
Small Business Rent Assistance Grant
Program Guidelines
draft
OVERVIEW
The City of Hercules is providing financial assistance to small businesses using $150,000 of the funding that it received from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The program provides funding of up to $15,000 per business, located in Hercules, for rent assistance. This grant program is administered by HdL ECONSolutions, the Economic Development Consultant for the City of Hercules and is offered on a first come, first served basis for eligible businesses. Program information can also be found on the City’s website at: (to be developed by HdL).
GRANT AMOUNT
The City has set aside $150,000 of ARPA funding to provide grants of up to $15,000 each for the Small Business Rent Assistance Program.
USE OF GRANT FUNDS
Businesses can use the grant funds (to be paid directly to their landlords) to cover rent that the business owes.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
A small business must satisfy the following criteria to be eligible to receive a Business Rental Assistance grant award:
Eligible businesses must be located within incorporated Hercules.
The program is aimed at brick-and-mortar, for-profit businesses in operation prior to March 16, 2020, with fewer than 25 employees.
The business must lease/rent their commercial property directly from a landlord.
The business must demonstrate a delinquency in rent payments at any time from March 16, 2020, to December 31, 2021.
Landlords must agree to and consent to this program.
The business must demonstrate a reduction in workforce and/or revenue loss from March 16, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and that they received little to no financial assistance in response to the pandemic.
Some business types, including corporate-owned chains or non-local based franchises, investment and insurance companies, and commercial and residential landlords, are not eligible for the grant program.
APPLICATION AND GRANT AWARD PROCESS
Required Documentation
For an application to be considered, the following documents must be submitted:
Completed and signed application form
IRS Form W-9
Application
Businesses that meet the eligibility requirements and are interested in applying for a grant must submit a completed application form with required supporting documentation. The City will accept applications from > to >, 2022 by 5:00 p.m. Applications can be submitted through any of the following ways:
Email at: > (Subject: Small Business Assistance Grant Program); Online at: >
Eligibility Confirmation
HdL will screen each application to confirm the applicant’s eligibility. Note that this will include verification with the City’s Police Department and Code Enforcement Division records that the applicant is currently in compliance with City laws and has a current business license. The City will communicate to each applicant whether they were confirmed to be eligible or not. The City expects to review all applications for eligibility and let all applicants know whether they are eligible by > , 2022.
Award of Grants
The City has set aside $150,000 of ARPA funding to provide grants of up to $15,000 each for the Small Business Rent Assistance Program.
Disbursement
Small business Rent Assistance recipients will have the funds go directly to their landlord who must agree to participate in the program.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For additional information, please visit the City of Hercules Small Business Assistance Grant Program webpage at : (to be developed by HdL)