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Isle of Wight County was awarded a grant from the Obici Healthcare Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund for Counties and Cities, and will use the funding to establish the Isle Recover Business Assistance Grant Program aimed at increasing fiscal assistance to businesses impacted by COVID-19 to recover and reopen. The County’s Department of Economic Development will administer the program.

The grant is one-time financial assistance for eligible, for-profit small businesses (50 or fewer employees) to reimburse the costs of business interruption related directly or indirectly to certain sections of Governor Northam’s Executive Orders 53 and/or Executive Order 55. Grants of up to $3,000 per business are available. Businesses that have previously received grant funding from the County or other federal grant programs are eligible to apply.

There is a limited amount of funding for this program. Grant applications will be processed and funded on a first-come, first-served basis upon submission of a complete application and supporting documentation.

To be considered for the grant, a business must meet all the following requirements:

• For-profit business directly or indirectly impacted or interrupted by one or both of the following:

1. Governor Northam’s Executive Order 53, specifically Section No. 3, No. 4, or No. 6
2. Executive Order 55, also known as the “Temporary State-At-Home Order”

• Must be located in Isle of Wight County, the Town of Smithfield or the Town of Windsor
• Must be in good standing with local taxes and licenses.
• Must have a current County or Town business license, except in cases of exemption of certain business sectors as defined by Virginia Code § 58.1-3703 and your local jurisdiction.

New businesses that began operations in 2020 must have obtained a business license by June 4 for Isle of Wight County and Town of Windsor, and by June 15 for Town of Smithfield.

• Had 50 or fewer employees as of Dec. 31, 2019

To apply, businesses can access the application online beginning Dec. 1, at 9 a.m. at theIsle Recover Business Assistance Grant website. The application deadline is Friday, Jan. 29. The completed application must be submitted electronically to the Isle of Wight County Economic Development Department.

Economic Development staff and/or its designees will review all grant applications to determine eligibility. Following review, the applicant will be sent a notification of decision by email. A completed W-9 and a copy of an unexpired, government-issued identification (i.e. Driver’s License, Passport, etc.) for each person signing the application are required to receive grant funding. Grant payments will be issued approximately 4-6 weeks after the required documentation is received.

For questions regarding the grant program, please contact Nicole Talton, Economic Development Coordinator, Isle of Wight County Department of Economic Development, 757-365-6251 or iowgrant@iwus.net.