Categories
Public Info

Union County Freeholder Board Provides $2 Million in Federal CARES Act Funding for Restaurants

Restaurants impacted by COVID-19 are eligible for grants of up to $20,000 each; online application portal opens on Wednesday, October 14.

Union County, NJ – Restaurants in Union County that have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak may be eligible to receive federal CARES Act funding through the new Union County COVID-19 Emergency Restaurant Grant program established by the Freeholder Board. The new program provides a total of $2 million to qualified restaurants located in Union County on a first come, first served basis. A maximum of $20,000 per grant applies.

 “Local restaurants are woven into the fabric of our neighborhoods, providing innumerable opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and civic service for our residents. Their contribution to our quality of life is irreplaceable, and this allocation of federal CARES Act funds will help offset the expense of COVID-19 prevention measures that protect the health and safety of our community,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

The Restaurant Grant COVID-19 Emergency Restaurant Grant program provides reimbursement for expenses related to compliance with Governor Murphy’s Executive Orders on restaurant operations during the COVID- 19 public health emergency, including items for facilitating outdoor dining, social distancing, and disinfecting a facility.

The online application portal will open at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14 through the link ucnj.org/restaurant-grant. Awards will be made to eligible applicants on a first come first served basis.

Applicants should be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • Have you received any other type of grant funding? If so, what were the funds used for? During what months were the funds used? What was the dollar amount?
  • What was the approximate sales volume/revenue of your business during the months of January through September in 2019, and January through September in2020?

In addition, the following documents must be submitted online with the application form:

  • A current Food Service License from the local or County Board of Health
  • All reimbursement expenditures must have a corresponding invoice and proof of payment
  • Business Registration Certificate, certificate of incorporation or formation
  • Good Standing Certificate (Short Form) found here : nj.us/treasury/revenue/standcert.shtml
  • 2019 Tax return or Tax Extension
  • W9 gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

Please note that one file will be allowed for each required type of documentation.  A third party tool such as Genius Scan is highly recommended for this purpose. It will allow the user to scan and merge multiple images and documents into single PDFs.

For Apple Devices, the Genius Scan link is:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/genius-scan-pdf-scanner/id377672876.

For Android (Google) Devices, the Genius Scan link is: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thegrizzlylabs.geniusscan.free.

The application portal will open on 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14 at  ucnj.org/restaurant-grant.

If further assistance about the Restaurant Grant program is needed, email Deana Mesaros, Coordinator, Office of Business Development in the Union County Department of Economic Development at dmesaros@ucnj.org

For more information and updates on all Union County services and resources during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance for using the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University and the Mobile Test Unit walk-up sites, visit the new Union County COVID-19 website at ucnj.org/covid19.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

#  #

For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.