Small Business Assistance Program Invites More Businesses to Apply - El programa de asistencia para pequenos negocios y invita a mas negocios a enviar solicitud

The City of Fort Collins is launching expanded criteria for the Small Business Assistance Program, as well as a new criteria specifically for single employee businesses. The Small Business Assistance Program is a $1.6M financial assistance program through Coronavirus Relief Federal funds to provide relief to businesses and nonprofits that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial phase of the program closed on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. The next phase of the program, which will include a change in criteria to the existing program and an expansion of the program to include single employee businesses, will launch Wednesday, September 30, 2020 and will close on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

The application will be also be available in Spanish.

La ciudad de Fort Collins está presentando su criterio ampliado para el Programa de asistencia para pequeños negocios, así como un nuevo criterio específicamente para negocios con un/a solo/a empleado/a. El Programa de asistencia para pequeños negocios, así como el nuevo criterio específicamente diseñado para negocios con un/a solo/a empleado/a. La asistencia financiera del programa de asistencia para pequeños negocios es un programa de $1.6 millones de dólares a través de los fondos federales Coronavirus Relief, con el objetivo de proveer alivio a los negocios y organizaciones sin fines de lucro que han sido afectados por la pandemia del COVID-19. La fase inicial del programa culminó el miércoles 23 de septiembre del 2020. La próxima fase del programa incluirá un cambio de criterio al programa ya existente, y una expansión del programa para incluir a negocios con un/a solo/a empleado/a, el cual iniciará el miércoles 30 de septiembre del 2020, y cerrará el miércoles 7 de octubre del 2020,s a las 5:00 p.m.

La solicitud también estarán disponibles en español.

Learn More - Aprenda Más

Meet #ForFortCollins Ambassador Peggy Lyle of the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District
Meet one of our new #ForFortCollins Ambassadors, Peggy Lyle, Director of the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District. Peggy will help share resources with the community on how to support your favorite Fort Collins businesses. Join us each week as we spotlight a new Ambassador.

Q: Have you done any community/employee giving?
We have volunteered hundreds of hours of work on behalf of the artists, cultural nonprofits, musicians and creative businesses to represent them in emergency response work, through programs to employ out of work artists, through sharing virtual and at home activities, and by telling their COVID-19 “Creative Help” business stories. We started and funded the collaborative program, “Downtown Barrier Mural Project” with Art in Public Places and the City of Fort Collins Engineering Department to paint colorful temporary murals throughout Downtown Fort Collins, allowing us to hire visual artists and support local restaurants.

Be sure to follow the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District's Ambassador journey on Facebook & Instagram.
Read Peggy's full interview here

Things to Know
  • Round 1 of the Energize Colorado Gap Fund applications has ended. Round 2 will reopen October 5th. Sole proprietors, businesses and nonprofits with less than 25 full-time employees can apply for up to a $15,000 grant and a $20,000 loan for a possible combined total of $35,000 in financial assistance.
  • Get Counted! - The 2020 Census closes soon. Census data helps secure federal resources and assistance in our community.
  • Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) provides supplemental benefits to individuals who are eligible for Unemployment Insurance payments during the weeks after the expanded benefits from the CARES Act expired. The CDLE website has recently been updated with the latest information.
Upcoming Events:
  • Need Answers to Questions that Impact Your Business? Chat with Larimer’s Health Department
    • All businesses are invited to join us on Thursday, October 1st, at 2:00 pm via Zoom. To help make this session as informative and helpful as possible, please submit your questions in advance. 

    Sign up for weekly updates from the City of Fort Collins Emergency Preparedness and Security COVID-19 newsletter at fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus

    Check out ForFortCollins.com for tools and resources created to help your business reopen safely and strongly while gaining support from loyal customers and community members.

    Economic Health Office
    222 Laporte Ave.
    Fort Collins, CO 80521