COVID Impacts Recovery Grant Program – United States

For-profit and non-profit businesses are eligible. Examples of eligible businesses:

• Arts: Performing Arts Company (Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.), Live Entertainment Venue, Art Gallery, Independent Artist, Writer, or Performer
• Heritage: Museum, Historical or Cultural Organization
• Science: Environment, Conservation or Wildlife Organization

Funding Information

• Grant funding is limited to $5,000 per application.
• They anticipate a high rate of applications for this program. All eligible organizations are encouraged to apply. However, to ensure funding reaches Washington’s most vulnerable businesses and those that have not yet received pandemic relief support, special consideration in awarding funds will be given to:
  • businesses that have not received funding from the following Commerce and ArtsWA programs: Working Washington Grants– Rounds 1-5, Border Business Relief Grants, Small Business Relief Grants, Convention Center Grants, COVID Safety Support for Large Organizations, NW Disaster Recovery, or Hospitality Grants
  • businesses owned by members of historically disadvantaged or underserved populations
  • the state’s smallest businesses with gross annual revenues of $50,000 or less in the 2022 calendar year
  • businesses located in one of the 15 counties identified by the state as a distressed area: Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Mason, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Lewis, Cowlitz, Yakima, Grant, Franklin, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille

Eligible Projects

• The expense is connected to the COVID-19 emergency.
• The expense is “necessary” to continue business operations.
• The expense is not to be used to pay government fees (i.e. taxes, licenses, state, county, federal, or city fees).
• The business will self–attest that the expense is not funded by any other grant, whether private, local government, state, or federal.
• The business would not be requesting assistance with expenses if they had not been impacted by COVID-19.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be an active for-profit or non-profit business as of March 20, 2020
• Be physically located in Washington State
• Primary business activity must be in the arts, heritage, or science sectors
  • Science funding is intended for cultural science non-profits and businesses such as science centers or zoos. Science companies, including research or development laboratories or services, and science manufacturing, are not eligible for these funds.
• Have expenses that are necessary to continue business operations, and the expense is not a federal, state, or local government fee (i.e. taxes, licenses, state, county, federal, or city fees).
• Self-attest that expenses are not funded by any other government or private entity.
• Have experienced and can describe lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on your business activities.
• Have documentation of 2020, 2021, and 2022 annual business revenues.
• Generate at least 51% of revenue in Washington State.

Ineligible

The following business types are not eligible to apply for this grant funding:

• Businesses actively pursuing a bankruptcy declaration
• Businesses disbarred by the federal government
• Businesses engaged in any activity that may be considered socially undesirable or predatory in nature (such as rent-to-own businesses, multi-level marketing businesses, check cashing businesses, etc.)
• Businesses of a prurient sexual nature (“adult” businesses)
• Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities
• Businesses that have permanently closed or intend to permanently close in 2023
• Businesses with regulations that restrict membership or participation for any reason other than age or building capacity
• Businesses without a physical location in Washington State
• Financial businesses mainly engaged in the business of lending, such as banks, finance companies, and factoring companies
• Government entities or offices of elected officials
• Multi-national corporations
• Passive businesses, investment companies, and investors who file a Schedule E on their personal tax returns
• Publicly funded libraries
• Religious or faith-based organizations
• Science research or development labs or services, and science manufacturing.

For more information, visit ArtsWA.