Grants Available For Anne Arundel Businesses Affected By Storms

ANNAPOLIS, MD —Ann Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced Tuesday the creation of a grant program designed to help businesses recover from the damage and pause in operations that resulted from the tropical storm and tornado that struck the area on Sept. 1.

The Disaster Recovery Micro Grant Program (DRMGP) will be run by Pittman and the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) and funded by a $25,000 gift from TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, according to officials.

Pittman announced that company's could start submitting applications online on Tuesday for grants of up to $5,000. All applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Nov. 5.

"We are extremely thankful that the tornado did not lead to any loss of life or injuries, but many of our businesses and residents are still feeling the effects," Pittman said. "We appreciate the TD Charitable Foundation's support in offering this grant to help our impacted businesses."

Pittman added: "(The micro grant program) is a timely opportunity that comes on the heels of recent announcements of loans through the Small Business Administration and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Together, these resources aim to help business owners rebuild and restart their operations."

According to officials, the micro grant program will allow eligible businesses to use the grants for any legitimate business expense including: physical property repairs, replacement of business equipment, replacement of inventory, lease/rental support, vendor bill support or moving expenses support.

Eligible businesses must have a brick-and-mortar location in Anne Arundel County and be in good standing with the state of Maryland.

Applicants will be required to submit:

• Grant application via web form
• Statement listing all damages, including details of the loss of income
• Budget detailing the use of the grant proceeds
• Completed W-9 form

·Plus, all applicants must:

• Be available for a site visit for a review of the damages to the property/business
• Self-affirm that the grant funds will not be used for any expenses that are reimbursed by any other relief programs or losses that are reimbursed by a covered insurance policy related to the disaster
• Save receipts for proof of purchase of all expenditures in case of an audit

"Our team aims to make the application process as simple as possible, so that we can get these grants out to the community as quickly and seamlessly as possible," said Ben Birge, CEO of AAEDC.

The application can be accessed on the Disaster Recovery Assistance page on the AAEDC website. Additional questions can be sent to grants@aaedc.org.