City Of Wauwatosa: Wauwatosa Small Business Emergency Relief Program

Press release from the City of Wauwatosa:

01/14/2022 8:39 AM

The Small Business Emergency Relief Program provides limited, one-time direct financial assistance to eligible Wauwatosa small businesses

The small business community is essential to serving residents and maintaining a strong, local economy while preserving Wauwatosa's unique identity. 

The Small Business Emergency Relief Program provides limited, one-time direct financial assistance to eligible Wauwatosa small businesses that employ 35 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Businesses must have suffered economic harm resulting from or exacerbated by the COVID public health emergency and have a pressing need for funding that will help the business remain current on expenses through the winter season and mitigate financial hardship. 

Funds are intended for small businesses that did not receive meaningful access to or receive federal loans and grants and must be used to cover expenses that have not been covered by other funding programs (examples include Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Relief Program (RRP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), etc.)

Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible for assistance under this program, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be physically located in the City of Wauwatosa and employ 35 or fewer FTE employees.
• Continue to suffer economic harm resulting from or exacerbated by the COVID public health emergency and have diminished financial resources
• Currently be and have been in operation as of July 1, 2021
• Be in good standing and current on federal, state and local tax obligations (excluding personal property taxes) and have no outstanding liens, judgments, special assessments, fines, fees, code compliance violations, or involvement in a current lawsuit or criminal case
• Self-certify the eligibility requirements on the application

Ineligible businesses include:

• Non-profit organizations
• National chains / franchises (unless a local franchisee that has not received franchisor financial support)
• Professional Offices (medical/dental, financial, consulting and architecture firms, etc.) unless continued economic hardship can be demonstrated through the submission of financial documentation
• Businesses no longer financially adversely affected by the COVID pandemic 

Eligible businesses can apply for grant funds per the relevant category listed below: 

• Small business (non-restaurant/bar) with 1-5 FTEs - up to $5000
• Small business (non-restaurant/bar) with 6 - 35 FTEs - up to $10,000
• Restaurant/bar with 35 or fewer FTEs - up to $15,000 

Funding is limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Funds can be used as reimbursement for the following expenses incurred from July 1, 2021 thru December 31, 2021:

• Mortgage / Rent Payments 
• Utilities
• Inventory
• Delinquent personal property taxes

*Please collect the documentation of expenses you are covering with the requested funds prior to beginning the application process as you will need to upload these documents as part of the submittal. Documents must be in PDF or DOC/X form. Documents must indicate payment has been made (i.e. cleared checks, invoices marked paid in full, etc.) and can include mortgage/rent payments, utility bills, inventory invoices, etc.

To receive the maximum amount of funds for the category of your business, the documentation submitted must equal or exceed that total (for example, a retail store with 10 employees can receive a maximum of $10,000: if rent is $2,000/month for 5 months = $10,000; submit 5 months of cleared rent payments).

Please ensure all application information is complete and accurate prior to hitting 'submit' - no changes can be made to the application once it is submitted.

Questions about the program requirements and the application process can be e-mailed to economicdevelopment@wauwatosa.net.

Upon request from the City, the business shall demonstrate economic hardship due to the pandemic and demonstrate that funding is imperative for enabling the business to continue to operate. Documentation could include profit and loss statements, tax returns or other financial statements.

All applications will be reviewed by the Economic Development Division and staff will make every effort to ensure timely review of all applications received.

Apply Now for the Small Business Emergency Relief Program.

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This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.