More local businesses that have been affected by COVID-19 can now apply for grants of up to $10,000.

Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced on Aug. 27 that an additional 49 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $8.8 million in federal grant funding through the new COVID-19 Response Program.

Brown County and the Town of Nashville were both recipients.

In June, the county was awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program designed to provide economic relief for small businesses to retain jobs. The Brown County Community Foundation has been managing that grant process.

Last month, Nashville was awarded $250,000 to provide grants to businesses to retain low-to-moderate income employees’ jobs. Those grants, up to $10,000 each, will be for businesses that meet the following requirements:

for-profit businesses located in town limits;

gross receipts less than $1 million per year;

small businesses (100 employees or fewer);

microenterprises (five employees or less, one must be the owner);

low- to moderate-income owner, or 51 percent of employees retained are low to moderate income;

must show direct financial need of grant funds to retain jobs;

preference given to locally owned businesses;

preference given to minority- women- and veteran-owned businesses.

Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, said Tara Hagan, the manager of municipal programs with Administrative Resources association, which serves Nashville government.

She said some companies may be able to get the full $10,000, while others may get $5,000; it just depends. A grant committee will review the applications, looking at the types of businesses, what will the money be used for and if the business had received other CARES Act money already.

Whether or not businesses will be able to apply and receive grant money from both the county and town is dependent on the committee’s decision, and whether they see that the money will be spent in a different way, Hagan said.

“After the committee scores, then we will submit the document to OCRA,” Hagan said. “Then, they will approve the release of funds, and the town will be able to sign the checks and contracts with the business.”

Applications close Oct. 2 and are available at townofnashville.com.

For applicants whose businesses are in Brown County but not Nashville, the guidelines are a bit different. Businesses must satisfy the following criteria:

employ 25 or fewer full-time employees or equivalents (working at least 32 hours per week) prior to March 1;

verify that 51 percent or more retained jobs are held by low- to moderate-income (LMI) persons;

submit LMI forms online for each retained employee (available at browncountygives.org/bcgives/covid19-lmi-survey-form);

demonstrate direct correlation of a high-level business disruption and COVID-19;

have a primary office or place of business within Brown County.

As of Aug. 31, the Brown County Community Foundation had received about $180,000 worth of applications, CEO Maddison Miller reported. The BCCF already had requested more than $133,000 from the lieutenant governor’s office. She told attendees at the Brown County COAD meeting that money is still available for businesses that meet the criteria.

Applications opened two months ago and are still available at browncountygives.org.