Business Grant Application Requirements

Business must be located within the six county region (Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers)
• An existing business located anywhere in Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers counties.
• Eligible businesses must be directly affected by a downturn in the local economy due to the COVID-19 mandates for Stay-At-Home.
• The business must be authorized to conduct business in Colorado with a current Local/State tax license.

All businesses that are currently closed must demonstrate the intent of re-opening their doors.

The fund will provide up to $1,000 (maximum) grants to businesses that were forced to close or limit services due to COVID-19.  

Requirements for this grant are as follows:
1) Funds can be requested to reimburse business operational expenses incurred during the closure or limit in services period mandated by the Stay-At-Home directive.
2) Funds can be requested to pay for expenses expected to be incurred during the reopening phase under the Safer-At-Home directive.

      Examples of eligible BUSINESS EXPENSES include:  
              - Rent/Mortgage
              - Utilities
              - Insurance
              - Payroll
              - Marketing
              - Legal/Accounting
              - Purchase of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment resulting from COVID-19)
              - Signage referring to safety practices (resulting from COVID-19)
              - Sanitation stations/supplies (resulting from COVID-19)
              - Modifications to facilities (resulting from COVID-19)

Requested funds must be supported by receipts that prove payment has occurred (paid receipts, cancelled checks, etc.) or quotes for expenditures (as in the purchase of PPE, signage, etc.) in preparation for re-opening doors.

Copies of payment receipts or quotes, must be emailed to stephanie.gonzales@seced.net and please cc: zoe.colvin@seced.net to complete your application.  Please put "SE COVID-19 Business Grant-Documentation" in the subject line.

Applications will be considered based on the following criteria:
1) appraised ability to survive and resume standard business operations in 30-60 days;
2) viability up to March 2020 - (PLEASE PROVIDE COPIES of 2020 Local & State Business Licenses and current bank statements (pages showing income/deposits) for February, March & April 2020 - will be used to demonstrate the decline in business income.
3) demonstration of a genuine effort and/or ability to leverage funding with other sources including traditional lending; SECED, Inc. or Otero Partners Inc. business loan funds; and other programs, i.e., Small Business Administration (EIDL loans) and the CARES Act funding (PPP program) - (PLEASE PROVIDE COPIES of application confirmations, receipts and/or denials).

Fund availability will be limited to the amount of donations received.  Each application must meet the criteria set forth by the application with priority given to those with greatest need. The intent is to help small businesses in the region with gaps that other funding could not fill and grant funds should not be used to pay for expenses paid for by other programs/loans.