▼

Groveland CARES Act Program Section 1

Show All Answers

1. How is the Groveland CARES Small Business Assistance Grant amount determined?

a. The business assistance grants are determined by the number of employees and are awarded on a first come first serve basis, based upon the eligibility, the accuracy and the completeness of the application.
b. Qualifying Self-Employed individuals/Sole Proprietors will receive $1,000.
c. Qualifying businesses with 1-3 FTE* employees will receive $1000.
d. Qualifying businesses above 4 FTE* employees will receive $3,000.
e. Qualifying 501(c)(3) non-profits will receive $3000 .

2. What are the For-Profit Business Eligibility requirements of the business assistance grant?

a. Business was in operation prior to January 1, 2020.
b. Business has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.
c. Business has a physical location in Groveland that was legally operating within Groveland, Lake County and the State of Florida prior to January 1, 2020.
d. Business can demonstrate ongoing operations within Groveland through January 1, 2020.
e. Business does not have any legal actions against or from Groveland or its municipalities, including code enforcement liens.
f. No owner, officer, partner, or principal actor of the business has a felony conviction for financial mismanagement within the last two years for which he or she is still serving a sentence (including prison, parole, and probation).
g. Business is not operating in violation of any state, federal or local laws.

3. What are the Non-Profit Eligibility requirements of the business assistance grant?

a. Organization is a Non-profit 501(c)(3).
b. Organization was in operation prior to January 1, 2020.
c. Organization has been negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 emergency.
d. Organization has a physical location in Groveland that was legally operating within Groveland and the State of Florida prior to January 1, 2020.
e. Organization does not have any legal actions against or from Groveland, Lake County and the State of Florida or its municipalities, including code enforcement liens.
f. No owner, officer, partner, or principal actor of the organization has a felony conviction for financial mismanagement within the last two years for which he or she is still serving a sentence (including prison, parole, and probation).
g. Organization is not operating in violation of any state, federal or local laws.

4. May an IRS Form 1099-MISC be submitted instead of an IRS Form 1040 - Schedule C for self-employed individuals?

An IRS Form 1099-MISC may be an acceptable alternative to an IRS Form 1040 Scheduled C as a required document. When a 1099-MISC is submitted as an alternative, the Grant Administrative Team may reach out to the applicant to provide additional information, if needed.

5. What is the timeline to apply?

The application process begins on October 26, 2020 and closes when all funds have been distributed. All applications and reviews must take place prior to December 31, 2020.

6. Do I need to pay the money back?

This is a grant program, which is not a loan. Therefore the funds DO NOT need to be paid back.

7. How soon will I receive the business assistance grant funds?

The application will be reviewed for completion and eligibility. If approved, the application will be submitted for payment approval and disbursement. The timing will be dependent upon the accuracy and completeness of the application, the review and response time of the applicant and the number of applications be processed. In order to ensure timeliness of your payment being received, ensure the mailing address in Section 3 is the correct address for the business. Additionally, please confirm your W9 reflects the correct mailing address.

8. Is there a list of what expenses are allowed under the business assistance grant funds?

The program is designed to help businesses and organizations with authorized business expenses; grant funds should not be used for household, personal, or consumer use. Refer to Section 601(d) of the Social Security Act and Section 5001 of the CARES Act for addition details about authorized business expenses.

9. What happens when all the business assistance grant program funding is awarded?

Lake County designed the program to give temporary assistance to small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. If additional funding becomes available, the City of Groveland has the option to expand the existing program or develop new future programs.

10. How do I get assistance to apply for the business assistance grant?

Send an email to GrovelandCARESAct@gmail.com and you will receive a response within 36-48 hours (Monday-Friday) of your email regarding your application

11. What other resources are available to my business?

Economic Development Organizations and Chambers of Commerce throughout the county are working around the clock with state and federal partners to monitor the changing legislation and business resources. Elevate Lake has compiled information on its business resources web page. For additional information on resources available visit: http://www.elevatelake.com/COVID-19

12. Is the amount of the grant enough to help our local businesses?

The program is meant to serve as temporary support for small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the goal is to help as many small businesses in Groveland as possible. We will continue to work with state and federal partners to help our local businesses.

13. Is the online application available in any languages other than English?

No, the online application is only available in English.

14. I am a sole proprietor business and the only person working in my business. Does that disqualify me from this grant?

No it doesn’t disqualify you from the Grant. If you are a registered business with the State of Florida and your company is physically located in Groveland, then you are eligible for this grant.

15. My small business operates a franchise, do I qualify for the grant program?

Yes, as long as the franchise has a physical location in Groveland and meets all other eligibility criteria.

16. I have more than one business; May I apply for each of my businesses?

Yes, each company must be a separate business or non-profit organization to be eligible and must have their own IRS W9 form.
Groveland CARES Small Business Assistance Grant Program allows an owner to apply for multiple businesses as follows:
For-Profit Self-Employed/Sole Proprietor – Only One Application
For-Profit Corporation** (C-Corp & S-Corp) – Maximum of Three Applications
For-Profit Limited Liability Company** (LLC) – Maximum of Three Applications
For-Profit Partnership** (General or Limited) – Maximum of Three Applications
Non-Profit 501(c)(3) – Only One Application
Non-Profit Chamber of Commerce – Only One Application
** Owners of For-Profit Corporations, LLCs, or Partnerships who are interested in applying for more than one business should:
Step 1: Complete & submit one application
Step 2: Email: GrovelandCARESAct@gmail.com for details, requirements, and assistance with additional applications.

17. I own several small businesses, are all my businesses eligible for the grant program?

Owners with multiple businesses may apply for a maximum of three (3) grants. However, Sole Proprietors may only apply for one entity, if they use their social security number as their business tax ID.

18. How do I indicate that my business was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 emergency?

If your business was determined to be non-essential by Florida Governor’s Executive Orders and/or was mandated to close or reduce operating capacity, you automatically qualify, as long as you meet all other requirements. (See application for more details.)

19. I am contesting a code violation or currently have a pending legal matter with Groveland. Do I qualify for the program?

Individuals or organizations with legal actions against or from Groveland, including code enforcement liens are not eligible for the grant program.

20. What is the definition of “employee” for this program?

An employee is defined as an individual who receives a paid wage or salary which employment taxes (e.g. FICA, FUTA) and income taxes are withdrawn and remitted to the IRS, as evidenced by business tax returns filed. Independent contractors or subcontractors (who receive IRS Form 1099s) may not be counted as employees for eligibility. A company that solely employs independent contractors qualifies as a self-employed applicant for this program.

21. What payroll information is required for organizations that have 2 or more employees?

One of the following forms is sufficient proof of employee count:
• IRS Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return) for 4th Quarter of 2019
• IRS Form 943 (Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return for Agricultural Employees) for 2019

22. I have applied but have not been approved or did not receive funding for PPP or EIDL. Do I qualify for the grant?

Yes, eligibility for the Groveland CARES Small Business Assistance Grant Program is not affected by the status of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), or any other COVID-19-related funding or benefit.

23. I received a small amount after I applied for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). Do I qualify for the grant?

Yes, eligibility for the Groveland CARES Small Business Assistance Grant Program is not affected by the status of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), or any other COVID-19-related funding or benefit.

24. Although I intend for my business to be open again, the doors are currently closed. Does this disqualify me for the business assistance grant?

Having your doors closed currently does not disqualify you for the program, so long as your business can resume normal operations after the emergency guidelines are lifted.

25. Am I eligible to apply if I live in another County, but my business is physically located in Lake County?

Yes, one of the eligibility requirements is that an entity has a physical location in Groveland that was legally operating prior to January 1, 2020.

26. How do I know if my business is a publicly traded company?

Visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Filings & Forms webpage.

27. Why am I not qualified for the grant?

City of Groveland recognizes that our small businesses needed additional support, created this program with the assistance of the federal government to help mitigate some of the costs that impacted our small business community. The program is for Businesses in the City Limits of Groveland who faced hardships during the pandemic. If you need that you should qualify for the grant please reach out to us at GrovelandCARESAct@gmail.com.

28. I do not have a computer; how can I apply for the grant?

At this time, the application for the Groveland CARES Small Business Assistance Grant Program are only being taken online. We recommend that you go to a public library or reach out to a trusted confidant who may be able to provide you with computer access.

29. How much funding is allocated to the business grant program?

Groveland is currently allocating up to $300,000 in emergency relief to support small businesses and non-profits located in Groveland that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are available as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act federal stimulus package.