Pierce County Seeks Professional Services To Help Local Business

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Pierce County is working to connect local professional services with businesses in need of help, as part of a plan to help revitalize the economy using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

During the second round of ARPA spending, Pierce County set aside $4 million for a Professional Services grant program.

Here's how the program works:

• A struggling local business applies to the program.
• If approved, the county gives that business ARPA funds to pay for a professional service, like tax advice.

Businesses will soon be able to sign up to receive those grants, but the county also needs qualified professional service vendors to help out. According to the county, eligible professional services are any that provide:

• Bookkeeping
• Tax and legal advice
• Graphic design
• Web-based services

If your business offers one of those services, you can enroll in the county's Professional Services Providers Roster online to be connected with local businesses.

In total, Pierce County will be allocated $175 million through the American Rescue Plan Act. The council first tapped into that money back in spring, approving the use of $50.5 million for immediate pandemic relief.