News

MONTCOSTRONG 2021: RESTAURANT GRANT PROGRAM

Recognizing the importance of the restaurant and food service industry as a cornerstone of Montgomery County’s economic and workforce development as well as central to the growth of entrepreneurship, job opportunities, and our communities, the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners is making available up to $5,000,000 in county economic development funds to support restaurants and other food service businesses as we move through the next phase of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The application window for this program will open at approximately Noon on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 and close at approximately Noon on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.  This program is a jointly administered initiative of the Montgomery County Commerce Department and the Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County.

Program Eligibility

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a for-profit restaurant, food truck, deli, bakery, brewery, distillery, vineyard, caterer, or other food service for-profit entity with a physical location in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania that has been in operation since at least January 1, 2020 and has experienced disruption due to the COVID-19 global pandemic meeting the additional following criteria –

  • Is current with all taxes owed (or in an approved payment plan with all taxes bodies to which a tax delinquency exists as of the date of application).
  • Is and has been in compliance with all lawful COVID-19 mitigation orders issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since March 12, 2020.
  • Eligible applicants may not be a publicly traded company.
  • Eligible applicants may be a franchisee, but the franchisee entity may not have more than 4 locations globally. All grant funds received by a franchisee entity must be used only at their location(s) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
  • Entities with multiple locations in Montgomery County may apply for each location. Entities with locations both in and out of Montgomery County may only apply for their location(s) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
  • Applicant entities that have been ordered closed for any public health violation by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, including any issues related to the spread of COVID-19, or have willfully violated all lawful COVID-19 mitigation orders issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since January 1, 2020 may not apply.

Please review the Program Guidelines and Program FAQ for further information on eligibility, application requirements, and allowable use of funds.

Grant Awards

Grant awards are as follows for eligible applicants:

  • Eligible applicants may apply for a $10,000 grant.  All grant awards for this program will be $10,000.  Any grant funds not used by a grant recipient during the allowable expense period (January 1, 2021 to March 5, 2021) must be returned to the Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County not later than April 30, 2021.

Program Guidelines, FAQ, and W-9 Form

 

Application

To apply, eligible businesses and organizations will be required to complete an online application. The application window for this program will open at approximately Noon on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 and close at approximately Noon on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Applications may not be submitted online prior to the specified date and time. The online application will not be available prior to the application window opening; the applications requirements and questions will be part of the Appendix of the Program Guidelines.

Before applying, please read the Program Guidelines and Program FAQ thoroughly.

Questions?

Questions regarding the program should be submitted through the Commerce Department’s Assistance Request Form. Feedback on applications will not be provided.

Additional Resources

Submission of a grant application is not a guarantee of funding.  Businesses, residents, and organizations in need support and guidance of can find additional resources and information as follows: