PROVIDENCE – The online application for the new $50 million grant program for businesses affected by the upcoming two-week pause that begins Nov. 30 is now live, the R.I. Department of Revenue announced Friday.
Grants from the program, known as the “Grant Program for Rhode Island on Pause,” will range from $500 to $50,000, based on eligibility and impact on a business due to Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s planned two-week shutdown of various sectors by executive order due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state. Businesses impacted by the order include restaurants, food trucks, caterers, bars, movie theaters, gyms, recreational facilities and event support professionals, among others.
The program was announced on Nov. 25, along with another $50 million to help unemployed Rhode Islanders.
Funds may be used to pay for operational costs incurred throughout the year to enable the business to remain open through the pause, to facilitate reopening of the business as soon as possible after the pause – if a business was not able to remain open, or to pay the wages and/or salaries of employees to avoid furloughs and layoffs.
The deadline to apply is Dec. 11.
Funding for the program comes from the state’s federal COVID-19 aid funds.
The application is available in both English and Spanish.
To be eligible, businesses must be impacted by the new restrictions, be registered with the R.I. Division of Taxation and filing taxes with the division, be a viable business, either open or temporarily closed, must not be considering federal bankruptcy or state receivership, and must have proof of the impact to the business. Additional requirements exist for restaurants and bars, as well.
Eligible businesses will required to show and attest to the monetary loss to their business.
The application, as well as FAQs on the program, may be found here.
