CHATTANOOGA, Tenn – Small businesses, nonprofits and faith-based organizations in Alabama have only a few days left to apply for part of a $200 million grant program to help offset the effects of pandemic-related operational interruptions.
The program, called Revive Plus, is a second wave of funding from the state of Alabama for organizations with 50 employees or fewer and will award grants of up to $20,000. The application period for the program started noon Nov. 23 and will end noon Friday.
“As the state has rolled out over $1 billion of the CARES Act monies to the individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19, it became evident the group most overwhelmingly hurt during the pandemic were the small ‘mom and pop’ shops,” Gov. Kay Ivey said when announcing the program. “A second round of assistance through Revive Plus will ensure that the small business owners who have borne the brunt of the downed economy can be made as whole as possible. As we head into the holiday season, my hope is that this will be welcome news for our businesses and help ease their burdens from what has been a very hard year.”
Grants will be awarded to qualifying applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis and only to those who have not received federal assistance for the same expense. Applying organizations must also have been in business March 1 and have a valid W-9 to qualify.
“The Revive Plus program is much needed in our small business economy,” Senate General Fund Chairman Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, said. “I commend Gov. Ivey for taking this action, recapturing unspent dollars and using a proven program to bring economic relief to our small business owners.”
Alabama received around $1.9 billion of CARES Act funding to respond to and manage the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A previous act initially designated up to $300 million of the Coronavirus Relief Fund for individuals, businesses, nonprofits and faith-based organizations, $100 million of which was reimbursed in July.