Published December 2 2020
New funding offers further relief in the wake of tighter COVID-19 restrictions
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The City of Bellevue is encouraging businesses in the area to explore a new round of Working Washington small business grant funding announced recently by Gov. Jay Inslee. The state funding package uses federal CARES Act dollars to offer $50 million for grants of up to $20,000 for Washington businesses. Eligible businesses can now apply for the grants with the state Department of Commerce. Priority will be given to businesses that apply by Friday, Dec. 11.
The funding package also includes another $20 million for eligible businesses that have already applied for prior rounds of resiliency grants but were not awarded funding. Those businesses will be automatically considered in this round without needing to take further action. Any questions about the process can be directed to bizgrants@commerce.wa.gov or by calling the state’s hotline at 360-725-5003.
“The struggle our businesses are experiencing today is real,” said Mayor Lynne Robinson. “These relief dollars from the state will help our business community access every resource available to them so they have the chance to emerge from the pandemic whole. We are honored to assist in that effort.”
Bellevue is well equipped to assist businesses in completing the application for this most recent round of funding in multiple languages. The city also maintains a Business Resources web page detailing all known available resources, including grant and loan programs, regional support campaigns, and city-sponsored assistance programs. These resources currently include:
- Permitting assistance and streamlining to expand outdoor dining and retail spaces in Bellevue.
- Business assistance through (re)Startup425 to help small businesses adapt and navigate all available sources of relief.
- Weekly COVID-19 newsletter focused on business impacts and resources.
- A list of all known and currently available funding sources, including more than $600,000 already awarded through the city and any state or federal programs.
To find out more about how to support local businesses or to find more business assistance resources, the city has centralized information on its COVID-19 Business Resources page. The governor’s latest public health restrictions are in place until at least Dec. 14.