The County of Madera and the Madera County Economic Development Commission (MCEDC) announced they are making significant changes to their Small Business Pandemic Assistance Grant Program to make it easier for more companies to qualify for the grant.

The Coronavirus, Relief, Economic Security Act (CARES ACT) directed large sums of money to the Small Businesses Administration (SBA) to assist small businesses.  Many businesses took advantage of the Payroll Protection Program and/or Economic Injury Disaster Loan, commonly referred to as PPP and EIDL.  Previously, if a small business had received any funding through PPP or EIDL they were disqualified from receiving a grant through the County/MCEDC program.

“We received numerous calls from local businesses that said they had received CARES Act funding through SBA but have been forced to use all of those funds to survive”, said Bobby Kahn, Executive Director of MCEDC.  With that in mind, the County and MCEDC made the decision to allow companies that previously received CARES assistance to now apply for the local grant. “Our goal is to help our local business communities survive this horrific time”, Kahn said.

Eligible businesses with 50 or fewer employees can apply for grants in the amount of $5,000 or $10,000 depending on the size of their company. “The action we have taken will give our local economy a chance to weather this pandemic”, said Jay Varney, Madera CAO.

Applications for the grant can be obtained by going to mcedccountybusinessgrant.com or call the MCEDC office at 559-675-7768 for assistance.