The City of Corning Small Business Grant Program is funded through the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds to support small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The City of Corning Small Business Grant Program will provide grants to businesses based on a priority and lottery basis. Businesses with ten (10) or fewer full time equivalent (FTE) employees are eligible to apply. Businesses will be chosen to receive the grant funds on a lottery basis, within the following prioritization:
- Priority 1: Family entertainment businesses where their primary purpose is indoor recreation and have been closed down for 5 or more months are eligible for up to $20,000.
- Priority 2: Any businesses that have been closed down for at least one month or restaurants and hotels with revenue losses of 50% or greater are eligible for up to $5,000. These businesses include the following industries:
- Nail salons
- Hair salons
- Bars
- Tattoo and Piercing Parlors
- Estheticians/Massage Therapy
- Non-essential Retail (clothing, gift shops, and non-food retail)
- Non-essential Day Care/Preschools (excluding home-based day care and preschools)
- Pet Grooming
- Landscapers
- Gyms and Fitness
- Restaurants with revenue losses of 50% or greater
- Ag-based retail and manufacturing
- Hotels with revenue losses of 50% or greater
- Priority 3: Businesses with costs associated with the impacts of business closures, costs associated with adherence to local requirements for safe business re-openings, or financial impacts due to loss of sales as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for up to $1,500. These businesses include the following industries:
- Auto Repair
- Delivery Service
- Contractors
- Grocery Stores
- Essential Retail (Hardware stores, Laundromats, and Convenience stores)
- Medical Offices and Pharmacies
- Janitorial Services
- Office-based businesses (excluding home-based office)
- Auto and Fuel Sales
- Storage Units
A lottery for Priority 1 businesses will be conducted first. Any remaining funds after the Priority 1 lottery will be available for the Priority 2 lottery. Any remaining funds after the Priority 2 lottery will be available for the Priority 3 lottery. The total amount for the grant program is $94,035. This amount will support approximately 16 small business grants for companies located and operating within the City of Corning.