Kirkland Launches New Round Of Small Business Relief Grants

KIRKLAND, WA — The Kirkland CARES Small Business Relief Fund opened for new applications Thursday, and local businesses may be eligible for grants valued between $1,000 and $8,000 to help offset economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Many small businesses continue to struggle from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related mandates," Kirkland Councilmember Toby Nixon said in a statement. "The goal of the Kirkland Small Business Relief Program is to help keep Kirkland's small businesses open by granting funds to pay expenses to cover cost increases caused by the COVID-19 health emergency. The city remains committed to assisting our small businesses during and beyond the pandemic, and this is one strategy to help them move from survival to recovery."

Business owners can fill out applications online and must submit them by April 14 at 5 p.m.

To be eligible for consideration, businesses must meet the following criteria:

1. Must be located and operating within the boundaries of Kirkland.
2. Must have a current City of Kirkland business license.
3. Be open and intend to remain open.
4. Documented revenue losses and/or expense increases at least equal to the amount requested as a result of the COVID-19 health emergency during the lookback window March 1, 2020 – Dec. 31, 2021.
5. Documented general operating expenses over a three-month period at least equal to the amount requested (the same three-month period as the documented revenue loss/expense increase).
6. Must have 1-10 FTE employees (Full Time Equivalent).
7. Must not be a publicly traded company, governmental or municipal entity.
8. Must not have received any federal or other funding to cover revenue losses and/or expense increases for the period requested in the application (No double dipping).
9. Gross revenues (2019-2020) less than $2 million.
10. Must not have received more than $8,000 in funding from the City of Kirkland CARES Small business Relief Fund or Kirkland’s CRRP fund.
11. Willing to submit a brief narrative attestation of need, and indication of how funding will provide stability for the business going forward.

After the application window closes on April 14, the city will use a random lottery to select the applications that will receive consideration. Citys officials expect funding will be awarded sometime in the middle of May.

Learn more on the city's website.