Cranberry Bars, Restaurants Eligible For Financial Aid

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak in Butler County and across the state can receive a new round of funding aimed at supporting the hospitality industry.

The COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program will distribute $145 million in funding to all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. According to Gov. Tom Wolf, funding will be given in the form of block grants to each county based on population.

A business is eligible to apply if:

• It has a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) designation within the Accommodation subsector (721) or Food Services and Drinking Places subsector (722) and where accommodations, food or drink is served to or provided for the public, with or without charge.

• It has fewer than 300 full-time equivalent employees.
• It has a maximum tangible net worth of not more than $15 million.
• It was in operation on Feb. 15, 2020 and remains in operation and does not intend to permanently cease operations within one year of the date of application.
• COVID-19 has had an adverse economic impact on the eligible applicant, which makes the grant request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the eligible applicant.

Each county will administer the funding through one or more designated Certified Economic Development Organization or Community Development Financial Institution, which will then process applications from businesses.

Applications will be accepted starting March 15, and complete program guidelines are available on the Department of Community and Economic Developments website.

For more information on the program and how to apply, click on the link.