Governor Polis signed into law SB20B-001 on Monday, December 7. The bill provides $57 million in direct aid, grants, and annual fee waivers to struggling small businesses and also creates grant programs and allocates funds specifically for art and cultural organizations as well as minority-owned businesses.

Multiple state agencies are working with local government associations and governments, regional councils of governments and economic development agencies, and non-profit distributors on eligibility, applications and distribution.

Please continue checking this site which will be updated as plans are finalized or sign up for email updates.

DOLA’s Small Business Relief Program

$35.15 million was allocated to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Small Business Relief Program for grants to eligible local governments to disburse to certain small businesses across Colorado, struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible businesses need to:

• be restaurants and bars, including distilleries, wineries and breweries, caterers, movie theaters and fitness or recreational sports centers
• be founded prior to March 26, 2020
• have revenues under $2.5 million
• be a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or sole proprietorship in good standing with all licenses
• have at least one employee unless they are a sole proprietorship
• have a reduced revenue of at least 20% due to capacity restrictions from public health orders

Businesses should apply directly to their county, municipality, or council of government. Many local governments have applications available across Colorado.

La Plata County Direct Relief Fund, Applications Open Jan. 11 – Feb. 1

Applications are now open for the La Plata County Direct Relief Fund! Local First has partnered with La Plata County to administer these necessary funds (made available by the Colorado Small Business Relief Program) to the hardest-hit small businesses in our community as we continue to navigate the effects of the pandemic together. 

Any corporation, LLC, partnership or sole proprietorship (nonprofits are not eligible) that fits into the following types of businesses are eligible for relief payments:

• Restaurants
• Bars (includes establishments like a Winery, Brewery, Distillery, etc.)
• Caterers
• Movie Theatres
• Fitness & Recreation Centers

The State Senate Bill sets forth tiered relief payment caps, based on the business’ receipts (sales or revenue) from 2019:

• Receipts less than $500,000 = up to $3,500 may be available
• Receipts $500,000.00 – $1,000,000 = up to $5,000 may be available
• Receipts greater than $1,000,000 but less than $2,500,000 = up to $7,000 may be available

The amount of funding granted to each business will be dependent on their annual revenue for 2019 and contingent upon their ability to show a 20% loss of income from March 26, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Funding is not first come first served, all applications will be considered before funds are allocated. However, we recommend getting your application in as soon as possible so the Local First team can reach out if we need additional information or clarification. 

Applications are open until Monday, February 1st, 2021 at 5pm. Visit www.local-first.org/laplatarelief to find out more and apply. General inquiries can be sent to laplatarelief@local-first.org. Local First looks forward to working with our small business community in La Plata County to provide this much needed relief as we all move forward into the new year.

2020 Recap: The Local First team spent the last day of 2020 putting the final checks in the mail for La Plata Cares grant recipients. All in all, Local First, in partnership with Aid to All, distributed $1,067,831.61 to 152 businesses in La Plata County through the La Plata Cares business relief fund. Businesses were located throughout the County including the towns of Bayfield, Ignacio, Dorango, Hesperus, Marvel, and unincorporated La Plata County. Thank you to all of the businesses who applied and used this funding to keep their employees and customers safe!

SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM
Senate Bill 20B-001 Section 2 added the Small Business Relief Program to C.R.S. § 24-32-129. This program was created to allocate money to eligible local governments to provide relief payments to capacity impacted small businesses operating within the geographical boundaries of those eligible local governments. To be considered an eligible business, the business must:

1) Be a Restaurant or Bar holding a valid Hotel & Restaurant, Limited Winery, Beer & Wine, Tavern, Optional Premises, Retail Gaming Tavern, Brew Pub, Club, Arts,
Racetrack, Vintner’s Restaurant, Distillery, Lodging & Entertainment, Fermented Malt Beverage, Brewery or Winery Liquor License; or be a Distillery that operates an
attached sales room; or be a Caterer, Movie Theater or Fitness and Recreational Sports Center.

2) Be a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other business entity that:
a) has its headquarters located in and is doing business in Colorado;
b) has at least one full-time employee (not applicable to a sole
proprietorship);
c) had annual receipts of less than $2.5 million for the 2019 calendar year (if
operating before January 1, 2020) OR first opened between January 1,
2020 and March 26, 2020.

3) Can provide a Colorado Income Tax account number (or, if exempt from filing a
Colorado income tax return, then the Colorado Tax Exempt Certificate number).

4) Can provide a receipt from the most recent payment of unemployment
insurance payroll taxes.

5) Can demonstrate it is operating under severe capacity restrictions required by
the local and/or state public health order and provide its intent to continue
operating in the state for at least six months.

6) Can provide evidence of at least 20% revenue loss since March 26, 2020, due to
the restrictions imposed on the business under the Governor’s Executive Order D
2020 017, ordering Coloradans to Stay at Home, and the Department of Public
Health and Environment’s Amended Public Health Order 20-24 implementing Stay-
2
at-Home requirements; except that this does not apply to a small business that
began operating between January 1, 2020 and March 26, 2020.

7) Has a valid business license and is in good standing with the agency that issued
the business license.

8) Can certify that the small business:
a) has not applied for nor received any other relief payments from the Arts
Relief Program and/or the Minority Owned Business Relief Program
created in Section 24-48.5-316, enacted by Senate Bill 20B-001; and
b) is in compliance with the Executive Orders pertaining to the Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19 and all applicable statewide and local public health orders, including capacity restrictions.

The program sets forth tiered relief payment caps, based on the business’ receipts (sales or revenue) from 2019, in the following fashion. However, these tiers may be formulaically adjusted downward based on total dollars allocated to each eligible entity:
 Receipts less than $500,000 =$3,500 maximum payment
 Receipts greater than $500,000 but less than $1 million = $5,000 maximum payment
 Receipts greater than $1 million but less than $2.5 million = $7,000 maximum payment. For more information on this program, please visit https://cdola.colorado.gov/covid19-small-business-support
A selection team consisting of representatives from Archuleta County, the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation, the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce and Region 9 will review all applications received prior to the Submission
Deadline for eligibility and will make the selections based on the funding available. Please complete and submit the attached application to Mary Helminski, Executive
Assistant/Paralegal, Archuleta County Administration, 398 Lewis Street, PO Box 1507, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 – via mail, hand-delivery or email to mhelminski@
archuletacounty.org. All applications must be received by the submission deadline date of February 1, 2021 in order to be considered.