Jewell County has been awarded $132,000 to support business grants for entities hurt by COVID-19. It is one of 66 awards across the state. Both the Jewell County commissioners and the City of Mankato met in special session to submit a competitive grant application to potentially obtain the grants, but now all Jewell County businesses will fall under the awarded money. The cap for each business is a $30,000 award.

The Jewell County commissioners authorized Chairman Mark Fleming to sign documents May 27 officially submitting a $300,000 grant application to help local businesses retain jobs for low-to-moderate income people. The City of Mankato met the next day to take similar action.

To be eligible to receive a CDBG-CV Economic Development grant, the recipient business must be a for-profit business in existence as of March 1, 2020, and retaining jobs for low to moderate-income people. Fifty-one percent or more of the full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs retained must be for persons from low to moderate-income households as defined by United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Businesses with five or fewer employees (including the owner) are eligible to receive up to $25,000 per FTE job in CDBG-CV Economic Development grant funding (with a maximum of $30,000 per company).

Businesses with between six and 50 employees are eligible to receive up to $35,000 for each FTE job in CDBG-CV Economic Development grant funding (with a maximum of $50,000 per company).

Funds will be awarded through an application process that is still being formulated. Announcement of this application process will be forthcoming and businesses can get added to the notification list by calling JCCDA at 785-378-7036 or [email protected].

For other information about awarded communities, please go to: https://www.wibwnewsnow.com/66-kansas-cities-and-counties-to-receive-community-development-block-grants-to-support-coronavirus-response/