SOUTH PORTLAND — The deadline for the COVID-19 Hardship Small Business Grant Program has been extended to expire with the governor’s state of emergency orders.
The South Portland City Council approved the grant program’s extension on Jan. 19. The program was established seven months prior and had previously expired on Dec. 31, 2020, said City Manager Scott Morelli.
The program provides direct grants with a maximum of $2,000 to eligible small businesses experiencing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Morelli.
The pandemic is “still with us” even after the grant program’s application deadline of Dec. 31, so South Portland Economic Development Director William Mann recognized that small businesses may still have needs and could benefit from the grant, Morelli said.
Gov. Janet Mills extended the state of civil emergency for the 11th time through Feb. 17, the Mills administration announced on Jan. 19.
The term of the grant will continue until the state of civil emergency expires, Mann said.
“I think we all wish this would all be done by February, but I suspect this is going to continue for some months longer,” he said. “So it makes sense, I think, to leave it out there because we do continue to have interest here and there for it.”
The total budget for the grant is $200,000 and, according to the city of South Portland website, “funded through a city council approved appropriation from one of the city of South Portland’s Tax Increment Finance Development Funds. Eligible uses for these funds are determined by Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development and administered locally.”
Councilor Kate Lewis said she appreciates the extension of the program, which started from an idea that arose when someone approached her about their inability to pay licensing fees.
“I think this is a really good program that’s been developed in short order under the leadership of Bill Mann,” she said. ” … It grew into a very worthy grant program and seems like it’s been a little bit successful for some of the businesses in our community, and I’m all in favor of extending this and seeing how far we can take it.”
The application and eligibility requirements to apply for the grant program can be found at southportland.org/departments/economic-and-community-development/covid-19-hardship-small-business-grant.
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