COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Programs (I, II, III)
$5,000 Grants Available for Eligible Businesses and Nonprofits
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Program Summary

The County of Ventura responded to Covid-19 with two Business Assistance Grant Programs for businesses and nonprofits. The County is getting ready to launch its third program.

Program I

  • Initial program in response to Covid-19
  • Summer 2020 – Fall 2020
  • $5000 grants to eligible businesses and nonprofits

Program II 

  • Late April – Summer 2021
  • Expanded to eligible businesses that did not receive a grant in Program I
  • Included faith-based and veteran nonprofit organizations 
Program III
  • Additional $5,000 grants to businesses and nonprofits from Programs I and II
  • Grantees from Programs I and II will be notified and given instructions in July 2021
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Eligibility

A business or nonprofit organization must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible:

Eligibility

  • Must be negatively impacted by COVID-19
  • Did NOT receive a $5,000 award in the previous County of Ventura COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant program of 2020
  • Have a physical address and operate in Ventura County
  • Established and opened prior to 2021
  • Annual gross revenue between $25,000 and $2.5 million. For businesses that were established in 2020 and do not meet the minimum threshold of $ 25,000, gross revenue will be pro-rated.
  • Currently operating or have a plan to re-open once the health orders allow
  • Business or nonprofit organization with multiple entities, franchises, locations, etc. may not submit multiple applications. The organization may submit a single application for the location with the highest annual gross revenue.
  • Business or nonprofit may submit only one application, regardless of the number of owners of the business
  • Must be registered at www.vcreopens.com and have a history of compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols
  • Nonprofit organization must be a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 501(c)(19). Churches and other faith-based institutions may apply.
  • Organization must attest that it is not an ineligible organization type listed below and acknowledge that applicant information is subject to the Public Records Act
  • Must have a business license with the appropriate jurisdiction within Ventura County (if applicable)

Required Documentation

To be eligible, applicants must provide the following documents: 

  • Government-issued photo ID of the business owner or nonprofit authorized agent. See FAQ section for list of acceptable ID documents.
  • Tax returns and attachments filed in 2019 OR 2020. Nonprofits must submit a Form 990. If business is exempt from filing any tax returns, a Profit and Loss or Receipts and Expenses statement will be required.
  • Proof of physical address within Ventura County (Select ONE from list of acceptable documents: Business License, State of California Seller's Permit, Fictitious Name Statement, Certificate of Organization, Articles of Incorporation, Utility Bill in name of business dated in 2020)
  • IRS Form W-9 signed and dated (Click to download form)
  • Nonprofit Organizations: IRS nonprofit determination letter (Click for Instructions)

Ineligible Organizations

Types of organizations not eligible include:

  • Organizations primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities (50% or more of operations)
  • Businesses that engage in gambling activities, including any business whose principal activity is gambling. (Businesses that obtain less than one-third of their annual gross income from either the sale of official state lottery tickets under a state license or legal gambling activities licensed and supervised by a state authority, but otherwise do not engage in gambling activities, are not ineligible.)
  • Government entities or elected official offices
  • Passive businesses, investment companies and investors who file a Schedule E on their personal tax returns
  • Businesses involved in speculative activities that develop profits from fluctuations in price rather than through the normal course of trade
  • Real estate investment firms, when the real property will be held for investment purposes.
  • Dealers of rare coins and stamps
  • Pyramid sales plans, also known as multi-level marketing, where a participant’s primary incentive is based on the sales made by an ever-increasing number of participants
  • Organizations involved in activities that are against the law in the jurisdiction where the organization is located
  • Organizations where a principal is currently incarcerated, on parole, or on probation; or is a defendant in a criminal proceeding
  • Financial businesses primarily engaged in the business of lending, such as banks, finance companies, factoring companies, loan packaging, leasing companies, insurance companies (not agents), and any other firm whose stock in trade is money
  • Cannabis-related businesses; liquor stores; and strip clubs
  • “Affiliates” of businesses as defined in 13 C.F.R. § 121.103.
  • Organizations that do not otherwise meet the eligibility requirements

How Recipients will be Determined

Business and nonprofit organizations that meet the eligibility requirements and successfully submit applications with all required information and supporting documents by the deadline will be deemed eligible. If the number of eligible organizations exceed total funding, then eligible businesses meeting one or more of the priority factors will be given priority in the selection process.

Priority Factors

If the program has more eligible applicants than funding, priority will be given to the following businesses: 

  • Women-owned businesses
  • Minority/person of color-owned businesses
  • Veteran-owned business
  • Businesses located in low-to-moderate-income communities
  • Businesses with employees

Eligible Uses of Funds

Grant funds may be used only for those costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and safety restrictions, such as business interruptions or closures required by state or local health orders. 

The following are the eligible uses of grant funds:

  • All employee expenses including payroll costs, health care benefits, paid sick, medical, or family leave, and insurance premiums.
  • Working capital, overhead (including rent, utilities, mortgage principal and interest payments [excluding mortgage prepayments]), and debt payments (principal and interest) incurred before 2021.
  • Costs associated with re-opening operations after being fully or partially closed due to state or local COVID-19 health and safety orders or restrictions and closures.
  • Costs associated with complying with COVID-19 federal, state or local guidelines for reopening with required safety protocols, including but not limited to equipment, plexiglass barriers, outdoor dining, PPE supplies, testing, and employee training expenses.
  • Any other COVID-19-related expenses not already covered (for the same period) through grants, forgivable loans or other relief through federal, state, county or city programs.

Ineligible Uses of Funds

  • Human resource expenses for the state share of Medicaid
  • Employee bonuses or severance pay
  • Taxes
  • Legal settlements
  • Personal expenses or other expenses unrelated to COVID-19 impacts
  • Expenses for repairs from damages already covered by insurance
  • Reimbursement to donors for donated items or services

Definitions and Additional Information

  • “Organization” means and includes a sole proprietor, an independent contractor, a 1099 worker, and/or a legally formed entity (e.g., C corporation, S corporation, limited liability company, partnership).
  • Applicants will be required to certify eligibility, including that the grant will be used for the specific applicant and, for an applicant with multiple entities, franchises, locations, etc., that such applicant is the entity with the highest annual gross revenue among those entities.
  • Gross revenue shall be determined based on IRS tax form definition of “gross sales” (less any returns and allowances) as reported on line 1.c. on both Form 1120 (corporate return) or From 1120S (S corp return); line 3 on IRS Schedule C for single-member LLCs and sole proprietorships; line 1.c on Form 1065 for partnerships; line 1.c and line 2 on Schedule F for farming businesses; and line 12 on Form 990 for nonprofit organizations. Schedule E is not eligible.
  • The phrase “a history of compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols” means a business or nonprofit organization (1) against which the County of Ventura has not initiated litigation at any time seeking injunctive relief due to noncompliance with state and/or local COVID-19-related health orders and (2) which, if the County health officer at any time issued a closure order against the organization for failing to comply with state and/or local COVID-19-related health orders, came into compliance with the applicable health orders within two weeks of the issuance of the closure order.
  • Grant funding from this program is taxable and it will be reported to the IRS. The County of Ventura will provide 1099 tax forms to recipients at the end of 2021.