Business Resources

Garrett County Restaurant Relief Grant Eligibility Guidelines

The Garrett County Restaurant Relief Fund is to assist restaurants with expenses associated with adjusting their operations and procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility Criteria and Business Qualifications:

Eligible Businesses:
• NAICS 722511: Full-service restaurants
• NAICS 722513: Limited-service restaurants
• NAICS 722320: Caterers
• NAICS 722515: Snack and nonalcoholic beverages (carry-out)
• NAICS 722330: Mobile food service (food trucks)
• NAICS 722511: Brewery/distillery (tap room)

Applications from franchise restaurants will be accepted, with the following exceptions:
• If a franchisee owns more than two (2) franchise locations in Garrett County, franchisee may submit a grant application for no more than two (2) of those locations; and
• Corporate-owned franchise restaurants are not eligible to apply.

Grant Awards:

The following approved applicants will receive a $10,000 grant:
• NAICS 722511: Full-service restaurants
• NAICS 722513: Limited-service restaurants

The following approved applicants will receive a $5,000 grant:
• NAICS 722320: Caterers
• NAICS 722515: Snack and nonalcoholic beverages (carry-out)
• NAICS 722330: Mobile food service (food trucks)
• NAICS 722511: Brewery/distillery (tap room)

Approved applicants will receive an IRS Form 1099, which will detail the grant award, from the Board of County Commissioners for Garrett County, Maryland at the end of calendar year 2020.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. Applicant must have owned, rented, or leased a permanent or mobile commercial food and/or beverage service location in Garrett County as of March 1, 2020

2. Applicant must have been in business on March 1, 2020 and continue to be operational, except, if a business closed after March 1, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wishes to use funds to reopen, reimbursement of funds up to the funding guidelines may be provided for eligible expenses necessary to reopen the business.

3. Applicant must have a valid Garrett County Health Department permit.

4. Applicant must be in good standing with Garrett County Government and the State of Maryland with NO outstanding taxes, fees, or other charges.

5. Applicant must be registered with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, if required by law, or have a valid Garrett County business license.

6. Applicant must demonstrate operational expenses or purchases incurred due to COVID-19 during the period from March 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020.

Eligible Fund Uses*:
• Rent/mortgage
• Utilities
• Information technology upgrades and e-commerce programs
• Marketing
• Employee training
• Commercial cleaning and sanitation services
• Professional services
• Vehicle or equipment expenses to expand outdoor dining
• Infrastructure improvements
• Disposable food containers/utensils
• Other COVID-19 health-related expenses (Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), supplies, plexiglass shields, masks, etc.)
*Grant funds may be used as a reimbursement for eligible past expenses made after March 1, 2020 that meet requirements.

Ineligible Fund Uses:
• Payroll / Wages
• Expenses not related to COVID-19 pandemic impacts

Required Documentation:
• Fully completed application
• Fully completed IRS W-9 form
• Vendor information request form
• Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation Certificate of Good Standing, if required by law, or a copy of a current Garrett County Business License. Certificate of Good Standing may be supplied via screenshot or printed from the webpage.
• Copy of Garrett County Health Department permit

Additional Information:
• Applicants that have received previous local, state, or federal COVID-19 financial support are eligible to receive the Garrett County Restaurant Relief Grant.
• If an incomplete application is received, the applicant will be notified via email and the application will lose its spot in the application queue.
• Applicants will receive an email notification confirming receipt of their applications. If an applicant does not receive an email notification, the application has not been received.
• Applicants will be notified via email upon approval of the grant and disbursement of funds. All grant funds will be disbursed via check.
• Documentation of expenses and paid invoices, as well as all Required Documentation set forth above, must be kept by the Applicant Grantee with a copy of the grant application for a period of five (5) years.
• Within that five (5) year period, Applicant Grantees must permit any duly authorized representative of the Maryland Department of Commerce, the State of Maryland, and/or Garrett County Government to inspect and audit all records and documents relating to the grant award.
• Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is exhausted.

• Applications will be accepted beginning 8:30 a.m.on Monday, November 16, 2020. The application and all documentation must be submitted via email to Kim Durst at kdurst@garrettcounty.org.

• Application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. NO grant applications will be accepted after that date. Funds must be disbursed to businesses by December 31, 2020. The December 15, 2020 deadline ensures sufficient time to review applications and disburse funds.

Posted 11/13/20

State of Maryland Offers Neighborhood BusinessWorks Opportunity Zone Microgrant

The State of Maryland is offering microgrants to support business investment in Maryland’s designated Opportunity Zones. Administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Neighborhood BusinessWorks Program will be offering "Opportunity Zone Microgrants" ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to start-up and expanding businesses located within an Opportunity Zone.

To apply for the microgrant, a for-profit business must be located in an Opportunity Zone in Allegany County, Garrett County, Somerset County, or Wicomico County; or in an Opportunity Zone that overlaps with a priority funding area in one of Maryland’s 20 remaining jurisdictions. The business must demonstrate plans for growth; have a matching contribution equal to or greater than the grant request amount; have 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and an annual revenue of less than $5 million, and; be in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.

The Opportunity Zones in Garrett County are Census Tracts 2, 6 & 7. Census Tract 2 is located in Northern Garrett County and includes the County's Northern Garrett Industrial Park and Keyser's Ridge Business Park. Census Tracts 6 and 7 are located in Southern Garrett County. Census Tract 7 includes the County's Southern Garrett Industrial Park and Southern Garrett Business and Technology Park, as well as County-owned property located along Francis Sanders Drive in Mountain Lake Park.

Applications will be accepted beginning November 17, 2020, and funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more eligibility details and application information, visit https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Business/Pages/OZ-Microgrant.aspx

Posted 11/5/20

MD InfoPortal: A Digital Catalog of State Assistance Programs

Maryland InfoPortal (formerly called Redbook Online) is the best one stop for finding financial and non-financial assistance offered by Maryland state government agencies on the web.

The Maryland Department of Planning, through the State Clearinghouse, hosts this digital catalog and coordinates the timeliness and accuracy of the information with a network of more than 80 sponsoring agencies.

Maryland InfoPortal contains links to 700-plus state programs providing financial, non-financial and technical assistance, and direct development to local government, civic and private organizations, and individuals.

What type of program information is available to search through the Maryland InfoPortal?

--Financial Assistance & Direct Development
--Non-Financial Assistance
--Technical Assistance

Follow this link for full details and search the InfoPortal for assistance programs and the agency sponsor.

Resources & Support for Students with Dreams of Entrepreneurship

The quintessential American dream is to own your own business, and according to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, nearly 14% of working-age Americans are doing just that! The obvious questions from aspiring business owners are:

1. Am I cut out for entrepreneurship?

2. How do I get started?

No one launches a business without support, so our hope is that our collection of entrepreneurship guides and videos will offer a first point of encouragement for young adults contemplating the difficult, but rewarding path of business ownership. For them we offer the following:

• An MBA Student's Guide to Entrepreneurship

• The videos, How to Tell if You're an Entrepreneur & 5 Surprising Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

• Information on pursuing an MBA with an entrepreneurship concentration

During Disaster Preparedness Month, Ask Yourself: Are You Ready?

Don’t be caught off guard by your insurance coverage the next time a severe storm hits. September is Disaster Preparedness Month and all Marylanders should read their insurance policies carefully to determine what their policies cover and do not cover.

In addition to carefully reviewing your insurance policies, some other ways to prepare for disaster include:

Inventory your property. Whenever possible, take photos or videos to support any claim you may need to file later.

Determine if you property is insured to its full replacement cost.

Keep your policy information in a waterproof, fireproof safe or off-site, such as in a safe deposit box, or scan it and save it to a flash drive that you keep in an emergency kit.

Consider purchasing flood insurance. Visit www.FloodSmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531 to learn more.

The Maryland Insurance Administration is a state agency that offers guides and general information about insurance coverage at community outreach events and online. Your insurance agent or insurance company can help to explain specifically what is covered by your policy and what is not.

For more information and videos on how to prepare for a disaster, visit the Maryland Insurance Administration’s website, www.insurance.maryland.gov. Look for the link to Insurance Preparedness for Natural Disasters under Hot Topics. Also, you can like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MDInsuranceAdmin or follow us on Twitter at @MD_Insurance.

Disaster Preparedness Flyer

Area Resource Links

Free service offered to Maryland based businesses that are seeking Government contracts at the Federal, State and Local levels.

Energy Conservation & Sustainability

Your Garrett County Chamber of Commerce supports energy conservation and green initiatives that foster sustainability. Below are resources to help your business implement conservation plans and potentially save you money.

Now that you have implemented an energy conservation plan for your business, reduce your electricity bills further by joining your Chamber’s Electric Buying Pool provided by Premier Power Solutions.

More than 80 Chamber member firms are already taking advantage of this exclusive member benefit. You can become a part of one of the largest energy buying groups in the region by becoming a Premier Power customer too. Premier Power Solutions has provided electricity contracts for over 9 billion kWh’s of electricity consumption that have allowed their customers to save millions of dollars over the life of their contracts. In many cases, the savings generated by this energy buying pool alone will be greater than your costs of membership in the Garrett County Chamber.

Given the current state of the economy one of the first items to be hit by inflation is energy. Electricity costs could see a big increase in as early as this month. Through energy deregulation, this program gives you the opportunity to shop the best price for electricity for your company.

Learn more about the electric buying pool and other member exclusive discount programs and start saving today.

Deep Creek Lake FAQ - MD Department of Natural Resources

Deep Creek Lake FAQ