Westminster, MD, Monday, July 6, 2020 – Carroll County small businesses and nonprofits still have time to apply for grant funds from Carroll Rebound, a program which provide grants to eligible businesses and nonprofits to assist in their pandemic recovery efforts. The Carroll County Board of Commissioners initially announced the details of the grant on June 22nd.  The Carroll County Coronavirus Relief Fund Plan (CRF Plan) provides the funding for Carroll County to assist small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Carroll Rebound application portal opened on June 24th and will close on Wednesday, July 15th at 5:00 pm. Grant applications will be reviewed by an internal team with awards based on need and the pandemic’s impact on the business or nonprofit operations. Grants will be awarded up to $2,500 for sole proprietors (with a minimum of two full-time employees), up to $5,000 for nonprofits (with at least one full-time employee), up to $5,000 (2-10 full-time employees), and up to $8,000 (11-50 full-time employees) for small businesses.

Eligibility for businesses and nonprofits is different as described below; both must apply online at https://carrollbiz.org/carrollrebound/ and meet the following conditions to be considered for the grant:

Eligible businesses must:

  • Have been established prior to September 1, 2019
  • Be a for-profit entity registered and in good standing with the State of Maryland and Carroll County (if required to do so by law)
  • Have a physical location in a Carroll County commercial or industrial zoning district
  • Be a sole proprietor who employs a minimum of two full-time equivalent (FTE) employees (not owners or part-owners) and/or a business that employs 2-50 FTE employees (not owners or part-owners). FTE is defined as 30+ hours per week.
  • Be current on all taxes owed to Carroll County and/or the State of Maryland

Ineligible businesses:

  • Private/trade schools
  • Faith-based organizations
  • Home-based businesses
  • Real estate holding companies
  • Independent contractors (including realtors, hairstylists, multi-level marketing, etc.)
  • National/regional chains and publicly traded companies/franchises

Eligible nonprofits must:

  • Be 501(c)(3) nonprofits
  • Have been established prior to September 1, 2019
  • Employ a minimum of one (1) full-time equivalent (FTE) employee and a maximum of 50 FTE employees, defined at 30+ hours per week

Ineligible nonprofits:

  • Churches and Religious Organizations (See IRS 1828)
  • Fraternal and/or civic organizations
  • Homeowners Associations
  • Labor Unions
  • Private or Political Foundations
  • Volunteer Fire Companies (will be addressed through the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association)

Eligible grant uses include the following: information technology upgrades and e-commerce programs, marketing, employee training, commercial cleaning, professional services, equipment or vehicle expenses and other COVID-19 business and health-related expenses e.g. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), supplies, plexiglass shields, masks, etc.

Ineligible fund uses include wages, lease or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, and expenses not related to COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

Businesses that applied and were awarded a grant from the Carroll County Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund or any other local, state, federal grant programs are eligible to apply, although a listing of previous grant awards will be required as part of the application. Applicants will be required to provide financial and employment verification documents and, if awarded, sign a grant agreement, and provide an IRS W-9 and an Electronic Transfer Fund form.  

If you have Carroll Rebound program questions, please email info@carrollbiz.org.

Interested businesses should sign up for Carroll Connect and Carroll County Economic Development e-news and watch for information via the Department of Economic Development website at https://carrollbiz.org. No-cost business counseling is also available through the Carroll County Small Business Development Center - please visit https://www.marylandsbdc.org/locations/northern-region to connect with a counselor for further business assistance.

About Carroll County Department of Economic Development
The Carroll County Department of Economic Development is a results-oriented team that creates competitive business solutions. To learn more about the programs or opportunities available in Carroll County email info@carrollbiz.org, visit https://carrollbiz.org, follow @CarrollEconDev on Twitter or call 410-386-2070