EDC higlights business funding opportunities that are closing soon

||| from Economic Development Council |||

Funding Opportunities Closing Soon

Reminder of funding opportunities that are closing soon:

Open to employers who pay unemployment taxes:

• Offset benefit charges from the ESD (deadline 9/30/20)

Open to for profit businesses (SJC only):

• Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant – 2 program (deadline THURSDAY 9/10/20 at 5PM)
• San Juan County Small Business Relief Grant program (deadline 9/20/20)

NOTE: The Working Washington 2 and San Juan Count Small Business Relief programs are separate, with separate applications. Businesses can apply for both programs if they meet both sets of eligibility criteria. Eligibility criteria and reimbursable expenses differ between the two.

Industry specific:

• Health care: CARES Act Provider Relief Fund (9/13/20), for a wide range of health care providers (e.g. dentists, medical, assisted living, etc) meeting other eligibility criteria.
• Farmers (including aquaculture, wool, etc): Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (deadline 09/11/20)

Other Funding Opportunities

Impact Washington has a page listing many grant opportunities available to different groups, different industries, and different types of businesses and/or non-profits.

Some highlights include grants for:

• Freelancers and the Self-Employed
• Value-added Agricultural Producers
• Non-profits
• For-profits
• and lots and lots of others.

Be aware that some of the grants listed on Impact Washington’s page are not open for applications yet and some grants are now closed. Their list includes grant opportunities from a wide range of funding sources; however, there are many other grant opportunities out there.

If none of these apply, you may still be eligible for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans or one of the SBA’s other programs.

Unemployment Benefits Updates

Job search requirements

Job search requirements will remain suspended through Oct. 1. This means the soonest claimants will be required to actively seek work is Oct. 4.

Lost Wages Assistance (LWA)

If you are eligible for LWA for any of the approved weeks (weeks ending Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, and Sep. 5), you may be able to receive an extra $300 retroactively for those weeks on 9/21. For those receiving regular unemployment insurance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) or Extended Benefits (EB), you will need to certify that you are unemployed, working fewer hours or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 to be eligible for this additional benefit.

From the ESD: “Eligible claimants can begin certifying on Sept. 8, 2020 and they need to respond to it by Sept. 20, 2020, in order to receive the retroactive payments the week of Sept. 21.” Those receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) have already certified they are unemployed, working fewer hours or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 and do not need to take this additional step.

Learn more here: ESD alert and on their LWA page, which includes eligibility information and steps to take to receive LWA payments.

Paid Leave and Child Care

How can employers support workers unable to find child care?

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires many employers to pay employees up to 10 weeks of leave at ¾ pay to attend to children if their child care was lost due to impacts from COVID-19 through Dec. 31. This page describes which employers are covered under this requirement:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-employee-paid-leave

To qualify for funding, the individual must have been employed for 30 days prior to taking the leave. Qualified employers can receive a federal tax credit for leave payments.
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/impact-of-recent-covid-19-legislation-on-employment-taxes