The City of Hollywood has launched its Small Business Relief Program! The City will invest $479,816.76 through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG CV1 and CV3) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist small businesses located within Hollywood in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible Hollywood businesses can receive grant funds up to $20,000 to pay for up to six months of the following allowable business expenses:
- Salaries of current employees
- Rent/mortgage
- Utility payments
In order to qualify for the Small Business Relief Program, businesses must:
- Be a “for-profit” enterprise operating legally in Hollywood
- Have $5 million or less in annual gross revenue (calendar year 2019)
- Have no more than 50 employees (including the owner(s) of the business)
- Enter into a CDBG-CV Grant Agreement with the City prior to issuance of grant funds
The following business types are specifically ineligible for assistance per HUD guidelines:
- Home-based businesses;
- Nonprofit organizations/businesses;
- Businesses that involve the sale of medical cannabis;
- Private clubs or businesses that limit membership for reasons other than capacity;
- Businesses engaged in the production or wholesale selling of tobacco products, vaping, liquor or sexually explicit materials;
- Businesses engaged in the production or wholesale/retail selling of firearms;
- Pawnshops, liquor stores, adult bookstores, non-therapeutic massage parlors, strip clubs or nightclubs;
- Storage facilities, trailer-storage yards or junkyards;
Business must qualify for one of the following:
- Business owner must be low- to moderate-income
- Business must create or retain one full-time low- to moderate-income position*
- Retail business must serve a low- to moderate-income area (access an interactive map here)
*NOTE: For businesses that will retain at least one low-moderate income job (item #2 above), the business must be able to document that that the job would actually have been lost without the CDBG assistance. To document this, application underwriting will include an analysis of relevant financial records which clearly and convincingly shows that the business is likely to have to cut back employment in the near future without the planned assistance.
Applications must be accepted online by Sunday, August 29 at 11:59 p.m. Technical assistance will be available at 954.921.3620 or economicdevelopment@hollywoodfl.org for help when submitting applications. An oversight review team, consisting of City staff and an outside service provider for administrative assistance, will review eligible applications and required backup documentation to make final decisions on awards.
Please click here to submit your online application.
Program Plan
Program Application & Document List
Information Session Recording
Information Session Presentation Slides
Low- to Moderate-Income Interactive Map