EXTON, PA — Chester County restaurants, bars, hotels and other hospitality businesses that would like to apply for individual grants valued between $5,000 and $50,000 can begin to prepare now.
Grants from the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) are being administered at the county level. According to the County of Chester and the Chester County Economic Development Council, hospitality and foodservice businesses can do the following to get ready for the application window that begins March 15th:
- Register now for a free CHIRP Informational Webinar with Q&A at https://ccedcpa.com/. The County of Chester and the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) will hold the webinar March 12th beginning at 11:30am and will offer details on the CHIRP program, including eligibility and guidance on the program application. Representatives from the CCEDC will be available, live, to answer questions.
- CCEDC also recommends that hospitality and foodservice businesses begin to gather documentation for their grant applications now. To start, CCEDC advises gathering documentation of NAICS designation, 2019 tax returns and quarterly profit and loss statements for 2019 and 2020.
Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Marian Moskowitz notes, “We know it takes time for businesses to apply for these grants, while managing the escalated day-to-day duties involved in running the business itself during a pandemic. That’s why we’re urging businesses to begin preparing now, starting with our March 12th webinar.”
Says CCEDC Chief Operating Officer Michael Grigalonis, “Through our work administering Chester County’s Main Street Preservation Program grants, CWCA loans as well as the federal Paycheck Protection Program, we have had the privilege of assisting over 1,000 Chester County businesses with gaining access to COVID relief funding. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to support businesses once again.”
Approximately $5.9 million in CHIRP funding has been allocated to Chester County, which is working with the CCEDC to implement the program. Program information can be found at ccedcpa.com/chirp and applications will be submitted through the same website between March 15, 2021 and April 12, 2021. Grant awards will be announced in May.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania announced the $145 million in recovery funds last month, under Act 1 of 2021. The funds are being distributed to Pennsylvania’s 67 counties allocated based on population.
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