Economic Development

City of Renton Small Business Relief Funding

Renton Small Business Relief Program

The City of Renton has received federal CARES funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce to assist small businesses and individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19. The City Council is dedicated to making as much of this money as possible available to support the businesses and individuals that make us the community that we are.

This webpage contains information about how small businesses may apply for funding assistance or download the FAQ sheet here.

The online application must be completed and submitted by July 30 at 5 p.m.

Forms are available in languages other than English upon request to thrive@rentonwa.gov.

This emergency program will provide working capital grants – in amounts generally limited from $5,000 up to $15,000* – to small, locally-owned businesses, social service agencies, and community organizations that meet specific criteria as detailed in the application.

*Depending on the number of employees, grant awards would be up to $15,000, as noted below. Sole proprietors (business owners) would also be eligible to receive funds and would be counted as employees for this purpose:

# Employees (including business owners) Maximum Grant Award
1-5 $5,000
6-15 $10,000
16-25 $15,000

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY SMALL BUSINESS QUALIFIES?

To apply, businesses must meet the following criteria:

  • Locally owned and managed with local decision-making authority.
  • Must be a current Renton business, with a City of Renton business license and not been delinquent in payment on any taxes or fees owed to the City as of December 31, 2019.
  • Must be current on all state licensing and other regulatory requirements.
  • Must have a physical location in Renton city limits on or before March 1, 2020.
  • Been in business for at least two years from the date of application.
  • Must have no more than twenty-five (25) full-time employees.
  • Ability to demonstrate loss of income due to COVID-19.

If you answered YES to all of the above, your business may qualify.

WHAT CAN I USE THE GRANT FOR? You can use the grant funds for extra costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example:

  • Payment of costs of business interruption caused by required closures
  • Payment of unemployment insurance costs related to the COVID-19 public health emergency if such costs will not be reimbursed by the federal government
  • Payments for any other COVID-19-related expenses reasonably necessary to the function incurred between March 1, 2020, and October 31, 2020

WHAT THINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED WITH THE GRANT MONEY? The grant funds cannot be used for:

  • Any expense not considered an eligible business expense by IRS rules
  • Bonuses to owners or employees
  • Expenses unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic

HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE GRANT? 

Complete the online application.  If the qualifying questions are answered correctly, the form will load and a submit button will appear at the bottom of the screen.

FOR QUESTIONS OR ASSISTANCE APPLYING: thrive@rentonwa.gov or call (206) 503-1742