State Commerce offering Working Washington small business grants

— from Victoria Compton for Economic Development Council —

The Washington State Department of Commerce is offering a new Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant (WWSBEG) program to assist small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Businesses which qualify for the grant program and are located within San Juan County must go to the Commerce site at http://startup.choosewashingtonstate.com/covid-grants/, download the application, fill it out electronically and email it to the San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) at edcsanjuans@gmail.com.

The San Juan County EDC will prioritize applications based on the severity of the impact the business is facing due to COVID-19, including being forced to close by the government-mandated closures, social distancing measures or illness. Awards will be approved on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the availability of funds, which are extremely limited. The objective for the grant is to support businesses through the crisis and enable them to retain as many employees as possible.

Eligibility: Applicants should have been in business for at least one year. Please note that funding is not meant to help launch a business, but to support existing businesses who are specifically impacted by one of the executive orders and are vital members of their local community. Applicants are eligible to receive one WWSBEG award during the current budget cycle, which ends on 06/30/2021.

Application Process: Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and applicants will be accepted or denied on a rolling basis. Approved grant expenditures: Grant funds can be used for expenses related to consulting, marketing, and training or for operational expenses including rent, supplies/inventory, utility bills, etc. Applications must include a list of proposed expenses grants will be spent on. Applications without a list of proposed expenses will be considered incomplete. Note that payroll cannot be reimbursed via WWSBEG. Please direct all payroll needs to Employment Security Department. The following expenses are not eligible: capitalized equipment, travel, office equipment, and computer software.

The EDC thanks San Juan County, the Raynier Foundation, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Port of Friday Harbor, the San Juan Island Community Foundation, King’s Market, Marketplace, Walt Corbin, the Orcas Island Community Foundation, Islanders Bank, Heritage Bank, and the Washington State Department of Commerce for their support of EDC initiatives. 

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County. We believe a strong economy builds a strong community.