Emergency Status
May 08

Emergency Relief Grants Available to Businesses in Unincorporated Boulder County

The application opens on May 8 and all applications must be received by May 18 at 11:59 p.m.

The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners has developed a Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Program with total funding of $200,000. The purpose of this program is to provide some immediate financial support for small businesses experiencing financial hardship directly related to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Find the application at www.boco.org/EmergencyReliefGrant.

Businesses in good standing that have registered their business’ headquarters in the unincorporated area of Boulder County (including Jamestown, Ward, and Niwot) and with less than 50 employees are encouraged to apply. The application opens on May 8 and all applications must be received by May 18 at 11:59 p.m.

Grants will be awarded in fixed amounts of $2,500, $5,000, or $7,500. The funds are intended to help businesses cover near-term expenses in the areas of business rent or mortgage, utilities, payroll, or other essential operating costs. The hope is that this money will provide short-term financial relief while businesses pursue other relief options. Applying for this grant funding must be one component of a larger strategy for a business’s recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and is not intended to be a sole source of aid.

Grant awards will be determined at the discretion of the county based on the eligibility criteria described below and are subject to funding availability. Grant awardees will be selected and notified on May 29. Funding for this grant program is limited and submitting an application is not a guarantee of a grant award.

Many municipalities within Boulder County have already developed or are considering relief funds for small businesses within their respective jurisdictions. Business owners with businesses in another Boulder County city or town should contact the municipality for more information.

For additional support available to individuals and families in Boulder County, please visit www.boco.org/COVID-19Resources.

For additional support for small businesses from the federal and state government and from other sources, please visit the Boulder Small Business Development Center and Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

For questions regarding this application, please email economicrecovery@bouldercounty.org.

Eligibility Criteria & Other Information:

  • The business must operate in unincorporated Boulder County (Niwot included), Ward, or Jamestown.
  • The business was in operation as of March 10, 2020 (Colorado emergency declaration).
  • Business is “current” on all accounts with the county and state.
  • Business employed 50 or fewer employees as of March 10, 2020.
  • The business is a for-profit business. Non-profit organizations may be eligible funds from:

An advisory committee will be appointed by the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners to oversee this funding process. Funding priority will be determined based on applicant need and a clear indication of COVID-19 impact to the business. Incomplete applications, or applications submitted after that deadline date/time will not be considered.

Submission of an application is no assurance that the grant will be awarded, in whole or in part. Receipt of funds under this grant program, if and as awarded, may impact the amount of other funding offered or awarded by other entities. The applicant assumes such risk. Applicants should not seek grant funding for an item or expense for which they plan to seek support from another source, e.g., SBA funding resources like the PPP or EIDL programs.