Email: PIO@ocfl.net
Orange County Government Announces CARES ACT Micro-grants for Home-based Businesses
Orange County, Fla. – Orange County Government is announcing an expansion of the CARES Act monies to include “micro-grants” to assist home-based businesses with three or less employees. The Orange CARES Micro-grant program is structured and designed to help support home-based business owners who were not previously eligible for the CARES Act Funding.
The Board of County Commissioners dedicated $3 million dollars to the micro-grant program. The $3 million dollars is in addition to the $65 million already allocated for the CARES Business Assistance program. Both programs will also include an increase to the payroll protection plan from $50,000 to $75,000.
“The micro-grant program is another way to provide monies to the countless home businesses that have been affected by the pandemic. The program is designed to help give some relief to these households,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings.
The micro-grants will range from $1,000 to $3,000 dollars. In order to prepare for home-based businesses to apply for the micro-grants, the County’s portal will shut down Friday, July 31, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
The portal will reopen on Monday, August 10, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. to accept applications for the micro-grants.
Please note there are many small business applications still in the portal that have only been partially completed. If the full application is not submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 31, 2020, the applications will be deleted. Small business applicants will have to reapply on August 10, 2020.
The CARES Act Funding supports business owners by bridging financial gaps that may have occurred due to lost revenue caused by the pandemic. The program criteria and information is now available online for home-based business owners at www.ocfl.net/OrangeCares.
The County is recommending that home businesses owners review the eligibility criteria and prepare their documents now so they are ready to apply come August 10, 2020.
For more information on eligibility criteria and required documents, visit ocfl.net/OrangeCares. If you are unable to access the Internet or have a language barrier, please call Orange County’s 3-1-1 call system for assistance.
About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County Government’s social media channels.