BERGEN COUNTY EXTENDS SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM DEADLINE TO OCTOBER 30 AND EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY TO 30 EMPLOYEES

HACKENSACK, N.J. – Due to the success of the Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announces that the County of Bergen will extend the deadline to apply for the program to October 30. The County of Bergen also announced that the Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program will also begin accepting applications for small businesses with 30 or less full-time employees. The program had previously only deemed businesses with 19 or fewer full-time employees eligible to apply. Approximately $10,713,000 has been awarded to 1402 small businesses in Bergen County thus far with 1,400 applications still under review.

Eligible businesses will continue to qualify for up to $10,000 in financial relief, which once approved they will not have to pay back.

The application deadline will be Friday, October 30, 2020 at 5p.m. To apply for the program and for more information, business owners can visit www.BergenCountyCARES.org.  If you have already applied you need not re-apply.

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

• Businesses must have a physical location in Bergen County, NJ and must provide evidence that they are a valid operating business in the State of New Jersey (i.e. Certificate of Formation or Incorporation, latest corporate tax returns, sales tax returns and/or payroll tax returns).

• Must have 30 or fewer full-time employees.
• Businesses must have been open and operating on March 1, 2020.

• Businesses owned by county employees and elected officials, as well as their immediate families, are not eligible.

Businesses that have received other financial assistance are eligible to apply but priority will be given to businesses that have not received any Federal grant assistance, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, US Small Business Administration grants or other grant assistance.

Receipt of grant funds through the Bergen County Small Business Grant Program is a one-time opportunity. Any business that has received grant funds during any phase of the Bergen County Small Business Grant Program is not eligible to receive additional grant funds through the Program.

The Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program is funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Federal relief fund. For administrative and troubleshooting questions please email BergenCountyCares@co.bergen.nj.us or call the troubleshooting hotline at 201-336-6011.

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