Here is a summary of the current Covid-19 relief programs and grants available for Ohio Small Businesses.

County Grants Available through Valley Partners:

These grants are at the county level and are not the same as the state grant. See below for more details on the state grant.

Mahoning County Small Business Relief Grant: Application and qualifying information: <https://valleyedp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Application-Mahoning-County-Small-Business-Relief-Fund-upd-101320.pdf>
Trumbull County Small Business Relief Grant: Application and qualifying information: https://valleyedp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Application-CARES-4-Trumbull.pdf

Small Business Relief Grant

The Small Business Relief Grant is designed to provide relief to Ohio businesses that have been negatively affected by COVID-19. Governor Mike DeWine has designated up to $125 million of funding received by the State of Ohio from the federal CARES Act to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses to help them through the current crisis. The program, which began accepting applications November 2, 2020, will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency.

Eligible Businesses are those that meet all the following criteria:

• The applicant business is a for-profit entity (corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietor).
• The applicant business is an employer firm with at least 1 and no more than 25 Ohio employees paid via W2 wages as of 1/1/2020, determined either by a headcount or fulltime equivalent employee calculation. A headcount calculation should include both part-time and full-time
• employees. A full-time equivalent calculation equals the total hours compensated for all W2 employees in calendar year 2019 divided by 2,080.
• The applicant business has a physical location in Ohio and earns at least 90% of annual revenue from activities based in Ohio.
• The applicant business has been in continuous operation since January 1, 2020, except for interruptions required by COVID-19 public health orders, and has the ability to continue operations as a going concern, taking into account a potential program grant;
• The applicant business has experienced revenue loss or incurred unplanned costs substantially caused by COVID-19 and a grant is necessary to help it recover from the impact of COVID-19.
• The applicant business is in good standing with the Ohio Secretary of State, the Ohio Department of Taxation, and any other governmental entity charged with regulating the business.
• If applicable, the applicant business has fully utilized any other government support received (including both grants and loans) by the applicant business for business expenses incurred due to COVID-19 or that can be utilized for business expenses incurred due to COVID-19.

Ineligible Businesses are those that fall within one or more of the following categories:

• The applicant business is a non-profit entity;
• The applicant business is publicly traded;
• The applicant business is operated by a governmental agency or entity;
• The applicant business is a club, as defined in section 4301.01 of the Revised Code;
• The applicant business is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities or political issue advocacy;
• The applicant business operates as a sexually oriented business as that term is defined in Section 2907.40 of the Ohio Revised Code;
• The applicant business engages in conduct regulated by the state casino control commission or operates Video Lottery Terminals as that term is defined in Section 3770.21 of the Revised Code;
• A majority legal interest in the applicant business is owned by individuals who are under the age of eighteen.
• The applicant business is a hospital, ambulatory surgical center, private school or longterm care center
• The applicant business is primarily engaged in the sale, cultivation or distribution of cannabis products;
• The applicant business is primarily engaged in the sale or distribution of liquor, not including restaurants or bars;
• The applicant business primarily sells tobacco products, cigarettes, electronic smoking devices, or vapor products as those terms are defined in Section 2927.02 of the Revised Code;
• The applicant business is a utility provider;
• The applicant business is a financial institution that makes loans or issues credit to the public, including, but not limited to, banks, credit unions, payday lenders, or any other similar business;
• The applicant business has not and will not, during the period beginning October 26, 2020 and ending on December 31, 2020, receive another grant under the SBRG.

SBRG funds can be used to reimburse eligible businesses for the following COVID-related expenses incurred between March 22, 2020 and the date the application was submitted relating to their Ohio business location(s) as long as the costs do not violate State or Federal law and are not otherwise specified as "ineligible costs":

• Personal protective equipment to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
• Measures taken to protect employees, customers, or clients from COVID-19.
• Mortgage or rent payments for business premises (personal residences explicitly excluded).
• Utility payments (excludes utilities for personal residences and cellular phones not used primarily for business purposes).
• Salaries, wages, or compensation paid to contractors or employees, including an employer's share of health insurance costs.
• Business supplies or equipment.

SBRG funds may not be used for the following "ineligible costs":

• Costs for non-COVID related expenses.
• Costs incurred for federal, state, or local tax obligations.
• Costs incurred for non-business purposes.
• Costs incurred for political purposes.
• Costs incurred for which the business has or will receive reimbursement from another source, including any other government loan or grant program and insurance proceeds.

Beginning on November 2nd at 10:00 AM, businesses can submit an application for the SBRG at businesshelp.ohio.gov.  In order to access the application, individuals will be required to login using an existing OH|ID or create a new OH|ID, which provides users with secure access to State of Ohio services and programs. For more information on creating an OH|ID, please visit https://ohid.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ohid/home.

Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund

The state of Ohio has created a $37.5 million fund to help bars and restaurants that have been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will provide $2,500 grants to eligible liquor permit holders in Ohio.

The application for the Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund is available at at businesshelp.ohio.gov.  In order to access the application, individuals will be required to login using an existing OH|ID or create a new OH|ID, which provides users with secure access to State of Ohio services and programs. For more information on creating an OH|ID, please visit https://ohid.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ohid/home.

Permit holders may apply for the liquor assistance funding as well as the Small Business Relief Grant. Funding for the program is contingent on approval by the Ohio Controlling Board.

BWC DIVIDENDS- Round 2 and 3

Workers' Comp gave back businesses $1.3B in dividends in October, for Round 2. The money was given back to employers in response to Governor DeWine's request in August that the Ohio BWC Board of Directors approve a second dividend to provide financial support for public and private employers impacted by the ongoing pandemic. These checks were mailed to employers throughout October.

On November 2, 2020, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation Board of Directors approved Gov. Mike DeWine’s request to send and additional $5 billion in dividends back to employers to ease the COVID-19 impact on the businesses and their workforce. This is BWC’s third dividend in 2020, bringing total dividend dollars for employers to nearly $8 billion this year.

BWC will apply the dividend to an employer’s unpaid balances first, then send a check for the remainder in mid-December. The agency issued a $1.54 billion dividend in late April and $1.34 billion in October. At $5 billion, the latest dividend is approximately four times the total premiums BWC collected from its employer members in policy year 2019.