Small Business Assistance Program
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The Danbury Small Business Assistance Program was established to provide limited, one-time direct financial assistance to eligible Danbury small businesses that employ 10 or fewer full-time employees and that have been adversely impacted by the COVID pandemic. The Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and administered by the City of Danbury’s Economic Development office. The Program is intended to provide assistance to eligible Danbury businesses that have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and have a need for funding that will help the business and the Danbury business community become stronger in the current marketplace..
Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible for assistance under this program, applicants must be a currently operating for-profit Danbury based business that is physically located and registered within the City of Danbury and employs ten or fewer full-time employees. The business must also have an annual gross revenue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of less than $1,500,000. Applicants must be independently owned and operated, not nationally dominant within its industry and located within the U.S.
To apply, all applicants must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number
● If your organization already has an account at SAM.gov, your organization has already been assigned a UEI number, and you can locate it in your SAM.gov account.
● If your organization does not have a SAM.gov account, please create an account on SAM.gov and once registered, your organization will be issued a UEI number.
For more information on how to find your UEI number, visit: https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei.
Applicant must be in good standing and current on its federal, state and local tax obligations and have no outstanding liens and/or judgments. Applicant must also be paying personal property tax to the City of Danbury.
Applicant must be compliant with the Connecticut Department of Labor Office of Unemployment Assistance and all applicable state and federal employment laws and regulations, including but not limited to minimum wages, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and child labor.
The business must be able to demonstrate satisfactorily that it has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and that the funding will enable the business to continue to operate and become stronger. The business must present a reasonable likelihood for long-term viability.
The business must have a clear and specific use for the grant money and the grant money can only be used toward addressing the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Applicants must self-certify the eligibility requirements on the application.
Priority will be given to those businesses that have not received any COVID-19 related monetary assistance.
How much can I apply for?
Eligible businesses may apply for grants of up to $5,000. Funding is limited and it is anticipated that requests for assistance will be greater than funding on hand. Not all businesses approved for participation will receive the maximum amount. The amount will be based upon the documented need of the business and available resources.
Business must demonstrate economic hardship and demonstrate that the operating funds are necessary and sufficient, when combined with any other sources (such as revenue from sales, third-party loans, etc.), to sustain the business
What is the approval process?
All applications will be reviewed by the Small Business Assistance Program Committee. Their recommendations will be forwarded to the Mayor for final approval. The Committee will make every effort to ensure timely review of all applications received.
● In addition to program requirements, awards will be based on a number of factors including: the continued viability of the business enterprise, the degree to which the business has been negatively impacted by the pandemic and the proposed use of the funds.
The Committee will also consider the extent to which the business has received other assistance to date and its access to other funding sources.
Upon approval, a formal agreement between the assisted business and the city will be executed.
Submissions:
Applications will be able to be submitted as attachments to an email and sent to sbap@danbury-ct.gov.
Applications will be accepted July 1st – August 31st, 2023. Applications submitted prior to the start date or after the end date will not be considered. Please title your email “Small Business Assistance Program”.
Eligible businesses may apply for grants up to $5,000. Funding is limited and not all businesses approved for participation will receive the maximum amount. A business may submit only one application. Once a business is awarded a grant, additional applications will not be accepted (this is a one-time grant for eligible businesses). Once total remaining grant funds of $325,000 have been awarded, the program will cease.
Eligibility
The eligibility requirements for assistance under this program are:
- An applicant must be a for-profit Danbury based business that is physically located in, operated in and registered with the City of Danbury if required. (Business must have a valid Danbury-based address).
- The business must employ ten or fewer full-time employees.
- Must have an annual gross revenue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of less than $1,500,000.
- The business must currently be in operation and open for business, and have been in business continually since January 1, 2018.
- Applicants must be in good standing and current on their federal, state and local tax obligations and have no outstanding liens and/ or judgements. (Bona fide payment plan for utilities, rent, etc., would be acceptable, with supporting documentation).
The business must be able to demonstrate satisfactorily that it has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and that funding will enable the business to continue to operate. The business must have a clear and specific use for the grant money and the grant money can only be used toward future expenditures. In addition to program requirements, grants will be based on a number of factors including the continued viability of the business enterprise and the degree to which the business has been impacted by the pandemic. . The committee will also consider the extent to which the business has received other assistance.
Evaluation and Approval Process
All applicants will be reviewed by a selection committee of four (4) individuals as follows, Economic Development Director, a representative from the Mayor’s office, Finance Director and/or their designee, and the Tax Assessor and/or their designee. A representative from the Office of the Corporation Counsel shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Committee as needed. The Committee will meet as needed to review and act on applications. Each grant application will be evaluated for consistency with the Program guidelines, economic feasibility of the request, and availability of Program funds. No member of the Committee can benefit directly or indirectly from this Program. The City of Danbury reserves the right to amend these Program regulations as may be necessary at any time and in its sole discretion. The committee shall have the discretion to restrict the use of awarded grant funds for any of the requested line items. This committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Mayor for final approval.
Each application will be evaluated on the following factors and scored.
Criteria Weight
- Applicant has no outstanding taxes or other obligations to the City REQUIRED
- Applicant demonstrated economic hardship due to COVID-19 pandemic 30%
- Compliance with grant requirements 30%
- Completeness of application (reasonable, understandable) 20%
- Supported documentation for the amount being requested 10%
- No prior financial assistance 10%
The Committee will review all applications by Thursday, September 28th, 2023 and make its recommendations to the Mayor no later than Thursday, October 5th, 2023. Awardees will be promptly notified. The total value of awards cannot exceed $325,000.00.
Submissions
Applications must be received no later than August 31st, 2023. Applications must be e-mailed to sbap@danbury-ct.gov. Applicants will be sent an e-mail confirming receipt of the application.
Contact/Questions
For assistance of questions regarding this solicitation, please contact Shay Nagarsheth at 203-796-1649 or e-mail s.nagarsheth@danbury-ct.gov.