Business Assistance Grant Program IV

Application Window: August 19 at 8AM to September 2 at 6PM

woman owned business

Program Summary

The County of Ventura is launching a fourth COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Program to assist businesses and nonprofits (Organizations) that did not receive a grant during any of the previous grant programs. The goal is to distribute relief to qualified applicants through $10,000 grants.

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Eligibility

Organizations (both business and nonprofit) must satisfy the following criteria to be considered as eligible:

Eligibility

  • Must have not received a County of Ventura Business Assistance Grant (Covid-19) in any of the previous programs (prior grant recipients are not eligible to apply).
  • Must be negatively impacted by COVID-19.
  • Must have a physical address and operate in Ventura County.
  • Nonprofit must submit IRS nonprofit determination letter.
  • Primary operations cannot be lobbying (50% or more).
  • Must be currently open and operating
  • Business must have an active business license in Ventura County.
  • Must have been in business prior to 2021.
  • Organizations with multiple entities, franchises, locations, etc. may not submit multiple applications (to any of the Business Grant Programs); a single application must be submitted, using the annual gross revenue figure for that entity, franchise, location, etc. with the highest revenue. If an individual previously received a grant for one business, that individual cannot apply with another business.
  • Business may submit only one application, regardless of the number of owners of the business.
  • Annual gross revenue must be between $25,000 and $2.5 million.
  • Must have a history of compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols, as defined below.
  • Nonprofit must be qualified as exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 501(c)(19).
  • Must attest that its business is not an ineligible business type listed below.
  • Must acknowledge that its information is subject to the Public Records Act and agree to spend the grant award on only eligible uses of funds as described below.
  • Churches and other faith-based institutions may apply.

Required Documentation

To be eligible, applicants must provide the following documents: 

  • Government-issued photo ID of the business owner or nonprofit authorized agent on the grant application.
  • Tax returns and attachments filed in 2019 OR 2020 or Form 990 for nonprofit organizations.
  • Proof of physical address within Ventura County (acceptable documents include business license, billing invoice with the name of the business, State licenses or CA Secretary of State filings, or fictitious business name statement).
  • 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 (regardless of whether such organizations qualify as exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), 501(c)19 or 501(c)(6)).
  • 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
  • Businesses 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.
  • Businesses 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 exceeds total funding, then eligible organizations meeting one or more of the priority factors will be given priority in the selection process.

  • Women-owned, minority/person of color-owned, or veteran-owned businesses where at least 51% of the business is owned and run on a daily basis by said group(s).
    • Minority/person of color-owned business means the following racial or ethnic groups (as identified by the applicant): African-American/Black, Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or Latino/Hispanic.
  • Organizations located in low-to-moderate-income communities.
    • “Low-to-moderate-income community” means any census tract (or equivalent geographic area defined by the Bureau of the Census) in which at least 50% of households have an income less than 60% of the area median gross income (AMGI), or which has a poverty rate of at least 25%.
  • Organizations that have one or more employees, not including the owner.

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:

The following are the eligible uses of grant funds:

  • Unless otherwise listed as ineligible below, 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)), debt payments (principal and interest) incurred before December 31, 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

  • “Business” 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).
  • “Nonprofit” means and includes entities qualified as exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 501(c)(19).
  • “Organization” means and includes businesses and/or nonprofits as defined above.
  • 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.
  • Businesses with non-U.S. owners are subject to ITIN verification.
  • 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.