(WJAR) — The Rhode Island Commerce announced that the deadline to apply for the Washington Bridge Small Business Grant Program has been extended.
According to state officials, eligible small businesses and nonprofits will now have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 8 to apply.
The original deadline to apply was this Tuesday.
So far, the Rhode Island Commerce said it has received 130 applications from businesses in East Providence, 425 applications from Providence and 160 applications from those outside of the two communities.
“Rhode Island Commerce is reviewing applications and grant awards are being prioritized based on percentage of revenue loss,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the state announced it will be giving out $2.6 million in grants to impacted small businesses.
To apply for the grant businesses have to prove they’ve experienced at least a 10% revenue loss from Dec. 2023 through Feb. 2024 compared to that same time period last year.
The grants will be distributed in three tiers of $500, $1000, and $2,500, according to officials.
East Providence will distribute $1.2 million, Providence will get $800,000, and the other $600,000 will go to businesses located in other parts of the state.
Unlike the Small Business Association loans, these grants don’t have to be paid back.
More about the grant can be found on theRhode Island Commerce’s website.
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