Ventura County Business Assistance Grant Program Releases Criteria for Awards

The County of Ventura has launched its Business Assistance Grant Program to provide relief for small businesses and nonprofit organizations from the impacts of COVID-19.

The Business Assistance Grant Program includes grants of $5,000 each for small businesses to alleviate impacts from COVID-19 for allowed uses such as payroll support, lease and rent payments, costs for personal protective equipment, purchases related to the operation of their businesses, and extraordinary business expenses for adhering to compliance protocols for reopening. 

Business Assistance Grants will be $5,000 awards to 1,000 recipients and will be available to those small businesses that meet the following criteria: 

• The business or nonprofit organization maintains a business license in Ventura County
• The business or nonprofit organization was in business on, or before, May 17, 2020
• In 2019, the business or nonprofit organization had total annual gross revenue between $25,000 and $2 million
• The business or nonprofit organization has registered with www.vcreopens.com if eligible
• The nonprofit organization is exempt from tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) per an IRS determination letter

The Ventura County Community Foundation will oversee the COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Program with the coordination of a special oversight committee.

Business owners can apply for the grant at www.vcreopens.com from June 24 to July 8, 2020. 
​
The County has also released its Rental Assistance Program, which may provide temporary rental assistance for Ventura County residents who owe past-due rent becuase of a hardship due to COVID-19. Priority will be given to eligible applicants with an annual household income of less than 50% area median income, followed by 80% AMI. The application process opens online at www.ventura.org/rent on June 17, 2020. Applications must be fully completed by July 1, 2020, including  submission of information requested from each applicant's landlord to support the appliction. If more eligible households apply than total funding can support, a computerized lottery system will be used to fund eligible households at random.

Those who qualify could potentially receive rental assistance in the amount of $1,500 for a studio/1 bedroom and $2,500 for a 2 bedroom or larger, with a maximum of two months of rent owed. While the funding may not fully cover monthly rent, it will assist in reducing the amounts owed. Payments will be made directly to landlords.

The rental program is federally funded by the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and prioritizes rental assistance for those with very low incomes who have been unable to pay rent due to the impacts of COVID-19.