Starting this week, Ohio is accepting applications to distribute $155 million in grant funding to small and medium-sized businesses in Ohio.
Businesses can apply for one of the following four grant categories:
- Food and Beverage Establishment Grants,
- Entertainment Venue Grants,
- Lodging Grants, and
- New Small Business Grants (for businesses that opened in 2020).
All programs are administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency. See below for details on each of the grant programs.
The Food and Beverage Establishment Grant provides grants up to $30,000 to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food and drinking businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’ loss of revenue in 2020.
- Eligible Businesses: The business must have at least one physical location in Ohio that has been in operation since at least Dec. 1, 2019, including food service contractors; caterers; mobile food services; drinking places, such as bars, taverns, nightclubs, etc.; breweries, wineries, distilleries with on-site drinking and/or dining; full-service restaurants; limited-service restaurants; coffee shops; cafeterias; buffets; snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars; and businesses that do not otherwise qualify for the Entertainment Venue Grant because they earn more than 50% of their revenue from the sale of food and/or beverages. The business must have experienced at least a 10% reduction in sales/revenue in 2020 at one or more Ohio locations because of COVID-19.
The Entertainment Venue Grant provides grants up to $30,000 to theaters, music venues, spectator sports venues, museums, and other entertainment establishments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’ loss of revenue in 2020.
- Eligible Businesses: The business must have at least one physical location in Ohio that has been in operation since at least Dec. 1, 2019. Eligible entities include theaters and dinner theaters; movie theaters; indoor and/ or outdoor music venues; comedy clubs; concert halls; spectator sports venues; museums; arts centers/galleries; historical sites; zoos and botanical gardens; amusement and theme parks; family fun centers; trampoline and adventure parks; arcades; golf courses; sports centers; skiing facilities; marinas; recreational sports centers; and bowling centers. The business must have experienced at least a 10% reduction in sales/revenue in 2020 at one or more Ohio locations because of COVID-19. The business cannot have earned 50% or more of its annual revenue from the sale of food or beverages, but those businesses may be eligible for the Food and Beverage Establishment Grant program.
The Lodging Grant provides grants up to $30,000 to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast operations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of the individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’ decline in occupancy rate in 2020.
- Eligible Businesses: The business must have at least one Ohio location that has been in operation since at least Dec. 1, 2019, and must have a hotel/motel license from the Ohio Department of Commerce. Businesses can be a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast. The business must have experienced at least a 10% reduction in occupancy in 2020 because of COVID-19.
The New Small Business Grant provides grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses that were established between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.
- Eligible Businesses: The business must be a for-profit entity that started operations between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, and that has at least two and no more than 25 Ohio employees paid via W2 wages as of Jan. 1, 2021. The business must have a physical location in Ohio and experienced revenue loss or unplanned costs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Do you think your company may be eligible to receive a grant based upon the information above? If so, let's discuss your questions: