WILMINGTON – Eligible Delaware small businesses and nonprofits will be able to apply for the $30 million available from second round of DE Relief Grants starting Thursday, Oct. 1, at 10:00 a.m. on delbiz.com/relief.

“Delaware small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they have made considerable sacrifices during the COVID-19 crisis. We owe them our gratitude and support,” said Gov. John Carney. “These relief grants will help Delaware small businesses begin the process of recovering and will help make investments necessary to create safer spaces for their customers and staff.”

To help applicants prepare, the Division of Small Business (DSB) is hosting a webinar Friday at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will learn from the challenges and experiences of Round 1 with the goal of increasing their chances of receiving Round 2 funding. The Zoom link is https://tinyurl.com/y2vm5x57

The first application round was open for 36 hours. During that time DSB received 1,645 applications, eligible for $54.4 million in grants.

“We expected high demand for the grants as this has been a very difficult time for so many businesses,” said Damian DeStefano, director of the Division of Small Business. “We were encouraged to see that so many of the applications were from parts of the business community that have been hit hardest, including very small family-owned firms, hospitality businesses, like restaurants and tourist attractions, and minority- and women-owned businesses."

Facts about round 1 applications:

• Disproportionately impacted industries (food services, retail, personal care, etc.) accounted for two-thirds of the dollar amount.
• More than half the applicants were minority- or woman-owned businesses.
• Three-quarters of the businesses and nonprofits that applied had annual revenues under $1 million (44% under $250,000).
• Three-quarters of applicants have fewer than 10 employees (more than half, fewer than 5).

Businesses that applied during Round 1 will know by Sept. 30 the final status of their applications, including if the application was not accepted. If an application was not accepted, they can and should consider applying for Round 2.

Grants of up to $100,000 are available based on 2019 revenue. Information on determining the amount a business is eligible for, what expenses are eligible for submission and additional program stipulations is available in the Frequently Asked Questions section of delbiz.com/relief.

Businesses interested in applying should, if they have not already done so, gather the following required documents:

• Complete 2019 tax return
• State of Delaware Business License (applicants must submit unless in an industry with a legal exemption from this requirement)
• Receipts for qualifying expenses (carefully check what qualifies as an eligible expense)

The DE Relief Grants program is a joint initiative of at least $100 million between the State of Delaware and New Castle County, funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The grants aim to help Delaware eligible small businesses and nonprofits pay expenses related to COVID-19.