Statewide — Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) today announced that an additional 42 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $10.09 million in federal grant funding through the COVID-19 Response Program.
On April 30, Lieutenant Governor Crouch announced 61 COVID-19 Response Phase 1 recipients, who received more than $10.7 million in funding. To continue addressing the economic impact caused by COVID-19 on rural Hoosier businesses, OCRA launched a second phase of the COVID-19 Response Program.
Eligible applicants for this program could apply for up to $250,000 and include non-entitlement local units of government. The two eligible economic recovery activities included grants or loans to businesses to retain Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) jobs. Funding for the COVID-19 Response Phase 2 funding is derived from Indiana’s CARES Act allocation.
Southeastern Indiana communities receiving a grant this cycle include:
Grants to businesses to retain jobs –
- The City of Madison is awarded $250,000 to provide $5,000 to $10,000 grants to qualified businesses supporting LMI employees.
- The City of Shelbyville is awarded $250,000 to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees located within the City limits.
- Jennings County is awarded $250,000 to provide $5,000 to $10,000 grants to eligible for-profit businesses to assist with LMI job retention through employee salaries, rent/mortgage payments, health/ safety materials, or innovative technology services to accommodate remote work or a change in operations.
- Ripley County is awarded $250,000 to create the Small Business COVID Response Grant which will provide $10,000 to eligible businesses with less than 100 employees.
Loans to businesses to retain jobs –
- Dearborn County is awarded $250,000 to create a revolving loan fund focused on small to medium-sized businesses that have seen a negative impact due to COVID-19.
- Fayette County is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses, within Fayette County, by providing loans to fund working capital and to help pay for remote work technology.
- Switzerland County is awarded $250,000 to establish a Small Business Loan Program. The funds will provide working capital to local small businesses suffering significant losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
