The Sachse Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) announced its SEDC Small Business Grant Program, in response to the needs of Sachse’s small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are $125,000 available in grant funds for one month’s rent and utilities reimbursement dated March 2020 or later. Grants are limited to $5,000 per business.
“With local Sachse businesses hurting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought about how we might help them,” said Sachse City Councilmember Jeff Bickerstaff, who serves as council liaison to the SEDC Board of Directors. “Hopefully, this grant program provides some relief for our local businesses. They are vital to our local economy and we want them to continue serving Sachse residents.”
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Open for business in Sachse prior to 3/1/2020.
- 25 fulltime equivalent employees or less.
- A physical and publicly accessible location within the Sachse city limits in a commercial building or business district.
- The business has experienced or is projecting to experience a decline in employment and/or revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Nonprofit and home-based businesses are ineligible.
PROCESS – A small business meeting criteria above should email Leslyn Blake at lblake@cityofsachse.com to request an application. Qualifications are verified by a five-person panel made up of representatives from the Sachse City Council, SEDC, city manager’s office and the Sachse Chamber of Commerce.
Applications are accepted from Friday, May 8 through Monday, June 15. The panel will meet every two weeks. Qualified applicants will be notified of the grant award amount by Friday, May 22; Friday, June 5; or Monday, June 15, depending on when they submit an application. Grant payments will be issued within 10 business days after notification.
“With 85% of Sachse’s commercial base classified as small business, the impact of COVID-19 on our business community is serious. In an effort to help retain these businesses and get them back on their feet, the SEDC Board allocated SEDC funds to establish this relief program,” said SEDC Board President Spencer Hauenstein. “We hope to positively affect as many small businesses as possible with these grants and help our community towards recovery.”