BERGEN COUNTY OPENS NEW ROUND OF GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

HACKENSACK, N.J. – Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announces that the County of Bergen will open a new small business grant program utilizing federal American Rescue Plan monies.

The application portal to apply will go live tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7th at 8 a.m. on www.BergenCountyARP.org.

This new program will provide up to $2,500 to small businesses who incurred costs or expenses resulting from business closure, partial closure, or business interruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority will be given to Bergen County businesses that are registered with the State of New Jersey as a Women Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise, Veteran-Owned Small Business, or a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business on a first-come, first-served basis.

“In Bergen County, small business is the heart of both our economy and community,” said Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco. “That’s why my administration remains committed to supporting small business and this new round of funding further builds upon the significant action already taken by the County’s economic development team to brunt the financial impact of the pandemic and further enhance opportunities for overall economic growth in Bergen County.”

“Bergen County is wholly committed to ensuring that our small businesses continue to thrive,” said Commissioner Chairwoman Tracy Silna Zur. “Investing in their success and helping our small business community heal is the best investment Bergen County can make.”

To qualify for the Bergen County ARP Small Business Grant Program businesses must fall under the following criteria:

· The business must be located within Bergen County

· The business must be owned by an individual, a partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company

· The business cannot have more than 5 full-time equivalent employees as of the first quarter of 2022

· The business must have experienced a loss in gross revenue between 2019 and 2020, as evidenced by Federal tax returns

· Non-profit organizations, real estate holding companies, and businesses behind on their tax payments are NOT eligible

Priority for the first three weeks of the program will also be given to applicants who did not receive funds from the 2020 Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program. If funds remain after the initial three week period, applicants who previously received funds from the program will become eligible.
 

This new round of small business funding builds upon several efforts already taken by the County of Bergen to brunt the financial impact of the pandemic and spur new economic growth. In 2020, the County rolled out several phases of the Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program, ultimately administering $55.6 million dollars to nearly 4,000 Bergen County businesses with 30 employees or less. Then in early 2022, the County launched the Bergen Business Resource Network (BBRN) by forging a unique partnership with Bergen Community College and several local workforce resource agencies. The network offers free consulting to small businesses and provides metrics on how a business compares against their competition within a specific industry, thanks to the acquisition of the data tool “SizeUp.” Finally, early this summer the County launched the Bergen County Economic Resiliency Advisory Committee, a task force that brings together local industry leaders to identify options, alternatives, and recommendations to maintain our County’s position of economic strength and build upon it for sustainable growth.

The Bergen County ARP Small Business Grant Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Federal relief fund. For more information, please visit www.BergenCountyARP.org. Administrative questions regarding the grant program can also be sent to bergencountygrants@nwfinancial.com.