Recovery Grants for Small Businesses and Non-Profits

The next public engagement session will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 3 pm.  This is the link to participate via Zoom. The link will be active 15 minutes prior to the session. Staff will provide updates on the use of ARPA funding.

The city is again opening the recovery grants application portal for small businesses and non-profits in low-income areas of Winston-Salem that are in danger of ceasing operations. Grants must go towards arrears for rent, mortgage or utility payments. The funds are not intended to replace revenue and are limited in scope based on state law.

Grants of up to $25,000 are available to eligible businesses with less than 25 full-time employees or the equivalent, and to non-profits with an annual operating budget of less than $1 million, not counting “pass-through” funds from other sources that are distributed to the non-profit’s clients. 

Grant applications will be accepted through June 24.The city will hold a virtual briefing at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, to discuss the deadline for pandemic recovery grants and any additional updates available regarding the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The briefing will be held via Zoom and will livestream on the city's YouTube Channel. Viewers who want to ask questions should sign in to participate in the briefing and pose questions through the chat box.

The city held a virtual briefing in January to go over the application process during the first phase of recovery grants. Watch a video of the briefing. Applicants will apply through the United Way of Forsyth County, which is administering the grants under a contract with the city. All applicants will use the United Way’s e-CImpact system. A link is posted below. 

The City Council has allocated $3 million for the grants:

•    $1 million for small businesses

•    $1 million for small social service non-profits; and

•    $1 million for small non-profits in the areas of travel, tourism, hospitality, and the arts. 

The first rounds of grants will go to applicants that are in or serve federally designated “qualified census tracts,” (QCTs)  in which at least half of the households have income below 60 percent of the area median income or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. 

This page includes detailed information about eligibility requirements, a link to the grant application portal, a map showing areas eligible for the grants, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Eligibility Criteria

Please carefully review the eligibility requirements below. By submitting an application, you agree the business or non-profit has met each requirement. A business or non-profit is eligible to be entered into the pool for up to $25,000 grant if it meets ALL of the following criteria. Incomplete applications will not be considered.