Lincoln Small Businesses Urged To Apply For Pandemic Relief Grants

Lincoln, NE (October 5, 2021) City of Lincoln and Lancaster County officials today announced the availability of $7 million in grant assistance for small businesses impacted by the pandemic. The funding is made available by the American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

Grants are available for small businesses in Lincoln with 50 or fewer employees that experienced revenue loss due to the pandemic. Small businesses may apply for up to $60,000 to pre-pay for up to six months of rent or mortgage payments. The grants do not have to be repaid.

“Our Lincoln small businesses are still working hard to recover and have not yet made up for revenue losses related to the pandemic,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. “These resources will help small businesses in Lincoln stabilize, grow, and thrive.”

Lancaster County Commissioner Sean Flowerday praised small business owners for their hard work, tenacity and innovation in keeping their doors open during the pandemic and said the grant program will benefit the entire community. “Small businesses do big business for our economy,” he said. “We know that by supporting small business, we keep our dollars here, adding to local employment and business-to-business purchases. In fact, initial analysis of the program predicts that for every $1 dedicated to small businesses, our community will gain $1.75 in economic impact.”

Grant awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Funds are available from the American Rescue Plan and small businesses must meet federal requirements. Over the next two weeks, the City will provide details to local small businesses about how to apply for the grants. A free webinar about the program is scheduled for 10 a.m., October 8. The opening date to apply online is October 18. Information about the webinar and program is available at lincoln.ne.gov/ARP.

Steve Engel, Managing Partner for Buzzard Billy’s and The Starlite Lounge, also supports the initiative “The uncertainty and challenges related to the pandemic were significant for all of us in Lincoln’s Haymarket. I’m so glad to see the Haymarket coming back to life. I’m also glad to see help and support coming from the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County to help small businesses heal. I’m excited to see how this program will help our community grow.”