Chatham Business Continuity Grant

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, subject to availability of funding  
 

GRANT SUMMARY

The Columbia County Business Continuity Fund was established at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in March 2020 in partnership with the Columbia Economic Development Corporation.  The fund provides cash grants to small businesses operating in communities impacted by the economic consequences of the coronavirus. 

Lael Locke, a longtime resident of Chatham, has generously donated $15,000 to the Columbia County Business Continuity Fund to support a micro-grant cycle benefiting small businesses in the Village of Chatham, NY.

Grants of up to $1,000 will be made available to provide interim relief to distressed Chatham businesses by providing operating funds that can defray the costs related to operating or re-opening, including implementation of required safety measures, rent, utilities, taxes, insurance, supplies, inventory, and marketing-related expenses. 

 

GRANT CRITERIA

Funds will be awarded to businesses in good financial standing prior to the pandemic and that meet the established criteria:

      • Independently owned business in the Village of Chatham
      • A 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in the Village of Chatham
      • Fewer than 10 employees
      • Less than $1 million in annual revenue
      • Storefront open to the public and primarily reliant on foot traffic for customers, i.e. stores/businesses that will attract residents and visitors to the Village

NOTE: *Contractors, professional services, and farms, in addition to businesses that were previously awarded Business Continuity funding, are not eligible to apply for this grant cycle.

 

APPLICATION DETAILS

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, subject to availability of funding 

Apply Here   The application is expected to take 30 minutes to complete and must be submitted via this online form.  

The application will require:

      • Business information: name, address, tax ID number
      • Most recent ST-100 ST-101 or NYS-45 return
      • A description of the financial impact incurred as a result of the COVID-19 mandated closures (% of revenue decline)
      • A detailed description of the intended use of funds, including how a grant will help restore business operations
      • Agreement to have your business name published in the event you receive a grant

To preview the application, click here for a printable PDF. 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We recommend writing your responses in a separate document and copy/pasting answers into the online form to submit.  The application will not allow you to ‘Save’ or ‘Preview” before submission.

To successfully submit your application make sure all fields are completed.  You must click “Submit” at the end of this form, AND click “Submit” on the Thank You page, to finish the submission process.

You will receive an email confirmation that your application was successfully submitted.  If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submission, please write to us at grants@columbiaedc.com to confirm your application has been received. 

Grant applications will be reviewed by an independent grant application review committee.  Funds will be awarded based on availability.  For those small businesses awarded a grant, funds will be disbursed as quickly as possible.  


For questions about the application or required documentation, contact the CEDC at grants@columbiaedc.com.