State Releases Relief Funding for Certain Small Businesses

Cary, NC — A new round of relief grants has been released by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, designed for certain businesses that were prevented from opening due to COVID restrictions.

Grants to Relieve Mortgage, Utility and Rent Payments

The state’s MURR program gives out small business grants, amounting up to $20,000. These grants were created with the intent to fund up to four months of rent, mortgage interest and utility costs incurred from April- August 2020.

Businesses must have paid these costs in order to receive relief payments from the program, and will be required to show evidence that these payments were made. The relief amount may not exceed $20,000 per business location, with a limit of up to two locations per applicant, for a maximum of $40,000 per business.

What Businesses Are Eligible?

Business owners able to apply for these grants include those who were prevented from opening directly because of mandated COVID restrictions. As the state has laid out, the eligible businesses are:

Amusement Arcades
Amusement Parks
Banquet Halls With Catering Staff
Bingo Parlors
Bowling Centers
Dance Halls
Drinking Places (Bars, Taverns, Cocktail lounges, Nightclubs, Discotheques)
Indoor Fitness And Recreational Sports Centers
Motion Picture Theaters
Museums

Additionally, applicants must be operating for profit, have less than 50 employees and the business must have been closed between April and July 2020 due to COVID-19. For more on eligibility and what documents are needed to apply, visit the MURR Program Page.