In April 2022, the Cayuga County Legislature approved the allocation of $500,000 in Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) / Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLRF) to support small businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This term-limited small business grant program offers financial assistance to eligible small businesses within Cayuga County. In 2023, the first round of funding awarded $300,000 to 37 businesses. With $200,000 remaining, a second round of funding has been opened. The Cayuga Economic Development Agency (CEDA) was appointed as the administrator of the grant by the County and is responsible for application intake and processing.
Starting May 1, 2023 small businesses in Cayuga County can apply for up to $10,000 in grant funding. Applicants should review the eligibility requirements prior to applying for grant funding. These requirements include but are not limited to the following: the business was established and operating in Cayuga County on or before December 31, 2019 and is still operating to date; the business experienced and can show documentation of a year-to-year loss in annual gross receipts greater than or equal to 10%, as documented by a comparison of annual gross receipts in the business’ filed FY20 and FY21 IRS Business Tax Return, when compared with those recorded in the FY19 Tax Return; the business has 25 or fewer employees as of January 1, 2020; the business has annual gross receipts in FY19 which are less than or equal to $1M. Businesses applying for funding must visit the website referenced below and read the program guidelines prior to applying.
Further details on eligibility criteria, funding uses, and important dates outlined on CEDA’s website. The deadline for applications is June 12th, 2023 at 4pm. It is recommended and preferred that the application be completed online; however, a printable version of the application is available on the website and paper applications are available at the Cayuga County Office building located at 160 Genesee Street in Auburn and at your local city/town/village clerk’s offices around the county. Eligible small businesses are encouraged to contact a CEDA Specialist if they need help completing the online application. CEDA’s assistance is always free and confidential. Business owners can contact CEDA via phone (315-252-3500) or via e-mail countygrant@cayugaEDA.org
Read more about this opportunity in the Citizen.
