Small-business grants available in Elyria

Grants are now available in Elyria for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The city is using CARES Act funds to provide the grants for businesses in the city. The grants are up to $50,000 and will be first-come, first-served. Small business's eligibility requirements: Must be physically located within the boundaries of Elyria. Must have been in operation before Jan. 1, 2020. Must be able to demonstrate ongoing business operations as of Feb. 29, 2020. Must meet the definition of a small business as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration. For assistance in determining a company's eligibility, visit https://www.sba.gov/size-standards. Must be able to demonstrate that the business has suffered economic damage from business interruption caused by COVID-19 since March 1. Must not have any current unpaid code enforcement liens. &emsp;&emsp; &emsp;&emsp; &emsp;&emsp; Must not be operating in violation of any state, federal or local laws. Elyria's review process is carried out through the Elyria Economic Development Committee. The loan review process should take no more than two weeks after all required materials have been received. After review, and if approval is granted, checks will be mailed to the business, which may take up to two additional weeks. Applications are available at cityofelyria.org and must be returned to covidbusiness@cityofelyria.org in order to be considered. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.