Deadline approaching fast for millions in aid to save local small businesses

The window for applying for more than $6 million dollars of aid still available for small businesses in central Ohio via the Small Business Response and Recovery Fund closes at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29. 

This is good news for business owners in Franklin County, as some earlier geographical restrictions on some of that aid have been lifted to include it.

The three programs from which local entrepreneurs can draw are recovery grants (up to $10,000), personal protective equipment grants (up to $5,000), and pivot loans (up to $20,000). 

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All three are intended for businesses with 25 or fewer employees, but priority is being shown to those with five or fewer employees and with female or minority ownership. 

Recovery grants are designed to help Franklin County businesses sustain their operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, while pivot loans are conditionally-forgivable loans available to Columbus businesses that have identified possible avenues for expansion. Personal protective equipment grants are, as the name implies, for organizations in Franklin County that need money to make COVID-19 health/safety improvements in order to re-open.

More information on the funds and a link to apply can be found here.

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