YUBA COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for up to $15,000 in grant assistance, under a program unanimously approved Tuesday by the Yuba County Board of Supervisors. 

Qualifying businesses can use the grant funds to alleviate specific hardships resulting from the pandemic. The funds – part of a $500,000 relief grant program – can be used to cover day-to-day operating expenses such as payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, equipment, inventory or supplies, replacement of lost revenue since March 13, establishment or expansion of operations to comply with the State order, and more. 

“We are proud to be able to offer this relief to local businesses that have weathered the last five months with resiliency, innovation, and cooperation to keep their community safe,” Yuba County Administrator Kevin Mallen said.

The program, called the Small Business Economic Resiliency Grant, receives its funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Applications for the grant will be accepted beginning this Friday, Aug. 14, at 10 a.m. and continue until Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. or until funds have been exhausted.

Complete information about the grant program is available online by going to www.yuba.org/coronavirus and clicking on the “Toolkit for Businesses” button. Businesses can find the application on the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation website ysedc.org when the application period opens this Friday.

“Our local businesses are the backbone of the economy, and any relief we can offer will help our community as a whole,” Yuba County Board of Supervisors Chair Doug Lofton said.