Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program Extended

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Good news has been hard to come by for small businesses in Bergen County as of late, but there may be some on the horizon.

The Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program has been extended for one week, according to a news release from the office of Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco.

The application window for non-essential Bergen County businesses will reopen beginning on Thursday at 9 p.m. It will remain open until Friday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m.

"By extending the program and reopening the portal with the same criteria as before, those non-essential businesses that didn’t have the opportunity to apply can now do so," said Tedesco.

Established to help provide relief to small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, businesses deemed “non-essential” per the Governor’s Executive Orders and forced to close as a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in financial relief.

Priority is given to businesses that haven't received any prior grant assistance, according to the release.

"We know that all our businesses in Bergen County are struggling to survive. Their livelihood is essential to us, and we encourage them to apply for the financial relief we are able to provide," said Bergen County Freeholder Chairwoman Mary Amoroso.

• Businesses must have a physical location in Bergen County, NJ. This includes home-based businesses.
• Businesses must have been deemed “non-essential” within the classification of “Businesses Required to Close” as per the Governor’s Executive Order No. 104, dated March 16, 2020.
• Only businesses with 1 - 19 full-time employees qualify.· Sole-proprietorships; LLCs; LLPs; Corporations; and S-Corporations are eligible.
• Businesses must have been open and operating on March 1, 2020.
• Businesses owned by county employees and elected officials, as well as their immediate families, are not eligible.