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.