Marin County launches aid program for small businesses

February 18, 2021

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Marin County Small Business Fund

Requirements to qualify for the grants and loans:

• Provide an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) or Social Security number (SSN)

• Be a business located in Marin and with a business address in Marin

• Have a valid Marin business license

• Be a for-profit business in good standing

• Have annual business revenues of less than $2.5 million

• Have no town, city or county tax liens or judgments

• Demonstrate a 25% drop in revenues since Jan. 1, 2020

• Have no more than 50 employees

• Have not previously received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan of more than $150,000

Source: County of Marin

Marin County on Thursday announced that small businesses hit hard by the pandemic can apply for $915,000 in federal relief funding starting Monday.

The money will be in the form of grants of no more than $10,000 and interest-free loans of no more than $50,000. The allocations from the Marin County Small Business Fund will be through a lottery, according to the county’s announcement.

The county’s partner on the funding distribution is the Mission Economic Development Agency, established in San Francisco in 1973. The agency will use federal community development block grants funds by way of the federal pandemic-relief CARES Act to disburse $800,000 in zero-interest loans and $115,000 in grants over the next few months.

On Jan. 12, the county entered an agreement with the agency to help distribute the funds.

After opening on Monday, application forms must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. March 15. To sign up to be notified when it launches, send email to marinfund@medasf.org.