LAWRENCEVILLE — All small businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic will have until 5 p.m. on July 24 to apply for Gwinnett’s Federal CARES Act grants and loans. 

The Gwinnett County Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) is administering $20 million in federal grants and loans to for-profit companies needing help with pandemic-related expenses, such as deep cleaning facilities, modifying facilities for social distancing, restocking, marketing, and/or paying staff in advance of reopening and achieving revenue. $10 million in grants is being administered by the Gwinnett Community Development Program and another $10 million in loans is being handled by Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc., a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution.

The grants are capped at $75,000 and target small businesses that cannot access capital due to their inability to meet underwriting standards. In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant needs to be a Gwinnett-based business in operation for more than one year, have up to 200 employees, and have organizational documentation in good standing. 

In addition to this, SBAP is offering 36-month term loans between $50,000 and $200,000 with the first nine months of principal and interest payments waived. Their loan program focuses primarily on small businesses that can adapt to the current situation and generate some sales. Furthermore, it should be noted that in order to qualify for a loan, applicants must be businesses that have been in operation for more than two years with up to 500 employees. They must also have organized documentation in good standing. 

Those interested in applying for grants and loans should visit the Small Business Assistance Program page at GwinnettCounty.com.

— Staff Reports