Coronavirus: Wilco Forward Doles Out $30.4M In Business Grants

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County’s Wilco Forward Small Business Grant Program has issued more than $30.4 million out of the $35 million allocated to assist local small businesses affected by COVID-19, officials announced on Thursday.

The Williamson County Auditor’s office has approved 3,123 applications as of Tuesday with an average grant size of $9,736.35, officials said.

According to a news advisory, some 25 grant applications a day are received. Below is a breakdown of how much money has been issued in each precinct.

• Precinct 1: 25 percent.
• Precinct 2: 32 percent.
• Precinct 3: 23 percent.
• Precinct 4: 20 percent.

Related stories:

• WilCo Launches Program To Provide Grants To Small Businesses
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• WilCo Forward Grants Program Disburses $15M In Business Grants
  
• Coronavirus: Wilco Forward Grants Program Issues $2.8M In Aid

Business owners have until June 30 to submit their application by visiting https://www.wilco.org/forward.

Williamson County last month launched the Wilco Forward program, which aims to provide grants for local business owners that have been impacted financially by the coronavirus outbreak. Officials described the initiative developed by an appointed strike team that includes County Treasurer Scott Heselmeyer, Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey, and Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles.

"Our team worked with business and community leaders from across Williamson County to develop the Wilco Forward grant program," Scott Heselmeyer said in a prepared statement at the time. "We specifically made the application process as simple as possible to encourage businesses to apply."

Officials noted the Williamson County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to allocate $25 million, from the more than $93 million CARES Act funds it received, to launch the grant program. Small businesses with fewer than 100 employees and sole proprietors can receive up to $30,000, officials added. On June 2, the court voted to increase the funding amount to $35 million, a county spokesperson told Patch.