$5M To Help Small Businesses Approved By Bucks Co. Commissioners

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The Bucks County Commissioners approved $5 million of American Rescue Plan funds to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic, according to a news release Thursday.

At the Commissioners' public meeting Sep. 1, Commissioner Bob Harvie said a total of around $27 million was given to small businesses over the course of 2020.

“This is a continuation of that,” he said. “We want to try and focus on businesses that did not receive funding from the last four rounds of grants.”

The Bucks Back to Work Small Business Grant program launched last year with funding from the federal CARES Act. Through several rounds of applications, Harvie said, the county provided grants to 13,000 businesses in amounts ranging from $5,000 - $50,000. The county expects to announce eligibility requirements and a timetable for applications in the coming weeks.

Harvie also said the county is looking to adjust and broaden the new guidelines. Businesses that apply for a Bucks Back to Work grant must be physically located in the county, regardless of the owner’s residence and have less than 50 employees. Eligibility requirements previously stated that for-profit businesses must have an annual gross revenue less than $700,000.

Non-profits and landlords are not eligible for the program.

“We want to continue to do what we can to help small businesses who are still trying to get their feet underneath them after a tough 18 months,” Harvie said.

For questions regarding the Bucks Back to Work Grant Program, residents can email bucksbacktowork@buckscounty.org.

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