Office Of The Mayor Of Seattle: Mayor Durkan And City Council Announce $2 Million For Small Businesses And Organizations Most Impacted B …

Seattle

Eligible small businesses and organizations will receive up to an additional $ 1,000 to help enforce King County’s immunization guidelines.

Seattle (November 1, 2021) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan Councilor Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide), Councilor Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle & South Park), and Councilor Tammy J. Morales (District 2, South Seattle) announced that the city will add $ 2 million to the Office of Economic Development (OED) Small Business Stabilization Fund (SBSF) to support small businesses and organizations affected by King County’s new vaccination verification requirement. Up to 2,000 eligible small businesses and organizations that must enforce this policy will receive additional funding of up to $ 1,000 to offset the economic impact of this requirement.

Eligible sectors for this additional funding include restaurants, performing arts and culture establishments, nightlife spaces and indoor after-school / recreational activities (such as bowling alleys, gyms, gaming facilities, etc.). Eligible applicants do not need to submit a separate application to gain access to this additional funding. The more than 500 companies in these sectors that have already applied for this SBSF round are automatically eligible and do not have to reapply.

“We listened to the science every step of the way – that’s why Seattle has the lowest cases, hospital admissions, and deaths of any major city, and one of the highest vaccination rates. Our communities are safe. Seattle is on the rise again, and while we do this vaccine verification, it’s important that we support our small businesses and art community as needed, “said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan.

All small businesses and nonprofits such as the performing arts, cultural institutions, or business technical support organizations are encouraged to apply for the Small Business Stabilization Fund by November 14, 2021, this additional funding of up to $ 1,000 even if they are not selected for a stabilization fund through the random selection process. Organizations and companies that have not yet applied for a grant from the Stabilization Fund should apply for these additional funds as soon as possible. The vaccine verification grants of up to $ 1,000 are expected to be distributed in December 2021 following the approval of the 2021 Supplementary Budget.

“As we ask people to continue to follow CDC guidelines to stay safe and healthy, we must also help small businesses that are struggling to safely open their doors to the public for their employees and customers ten months that we have learned and quickly adapted to keep COVID rates as low as possible, this funding is another tool that will help us achieve this goal. Thank you to all the workers and small businesses that keep the economy going – we will continue to work to keep you and our community healthy and safe, “said Councilor Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide).

“As we continue to endure the effects of the pandemic, we must balance our efforts to support the city’s economic recovery with the safety of workers and patrons,” said Councilor Tammy J. Morales (District 2, South Seattle). “I’d like to commend the Office of Economic Development (OED) staff. Their ingenuity and hard work will make it easier for small businesses to meet vaccination tests. This smart approach to our economic recovery makes our small businesses more resilient.” and in response to the ongoing public health crisis. ”

“Long before King County introduced vaccine verification, more than 140 institutions were asking for proof of vaccination. Workers and small businesses struggling to stay open need help with vaccine verification implementation and enforcement. An analysis by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) found that vaccine verification guidelines alone in restaurants, bars, and gyms / fitness centers resulted in 17,900 to 75,900 infections, 421 to 1,760 hospital admissions, and 63 to 257 on-site deaths within of six months could prevent lives, relieve our health care workers and keep small businesses open, “said City Councilor Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle & South Park).

To be eligible for Small Business Stabilization Fund grant, businesses and nonprofits must currently be open and operating, have 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, be located within Seattle city limits, have no more than two locations, and one annual Net sales are at or less than $ 2 million and have a net annual loss totaling or greater than the SBSF grant amount requested as per City Business and Occupation (B&O) data. To apply for the Small Business Stabilization Fund or to learn more about eligibility requirements and the application process, visit seattle.gov/SmallBusinessStabilizationFund.

“We are asking our small businesses to change their business operations one more time to help us respond to the realities of COVID in our city. We know these changes can add additional costs to companies doing their best to stabilize. I am grateful for the resilience of our small business owners and believe that this additional funding can ease some of the financial pressures they are under as we move into a new phase of our city’s recovery, “said Pamela Banks, interim director of the Office of Economic development.

The latest round of the Small Business Stabilization Fund is funded by the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFR), established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). OED will administer these grants as part of their citywide investment in economic recovery. Eligible companies and nonprofits can apply for grants of up to $ 20,000 based on the proven negative financial impact of COVID-19. Because OED has not opened the SBSF application pool for nearly a year, and due to the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic, OED will accept applications from small businesses and nonprofits that have applied for and / or received SBSF grants in previous rounds.

ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE SEATTLE:The Office of Economic Development (OED) is committed to building an inclusive economy in the city of Seattle. OED works at all levels of our local economy to support small and micro businesses; Partnership with business districts in the neighborhood; Assisting creative business sectors, workers and special event organizers; Partnership with key industries that drive innovation, job growth and global competitiveness; and invest in our local workforce with a focus on young people, low-income workers, and unemployed and underemployed adults. As the city transitions from the COVID-19 emergency response, OED will play a leading and critical role in the short and long-term economic recovery and community resilience efforts. For more information on the department’s programs and services, please visit the OED website.

This news release was prepared by the Seattle Mayor’s office. The views expressed here are your own.