The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is helping Delray Beach’s local businesses get back on their feet as safe as possible. In an effort to help business owners be able to put necessary COVID safety measures in place, the CRA created the COVID-19 Let’s Keep It Clean Grant Program that helps business owners pay for necessary improvements to reduce the risk of exposure as they continue to operate and/or reopen to the public.
The grant is intended for high traffic commercial businesses within the CRA District, such as restaurants, retail stores, etc., but is not intended for office or home-based businesses. The CRA will pay for 50% of costs up to $2,000 per business applicant, and the program has $850,000 budgeted for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The number of grantees depends on the number of approved awards, and anyone who needs the help is encouraged to apply!
“We know that small businesses have faced unprecedented economic disruptions due to COVID-19. While businesses have already started to reopen, they still continue to struggle to recover financially. The CRA is a resource that local business owners can turn to,” said Alexina Jeannite, grant manager at the Delray Beach CRA. “The CRA also recognizes that reopening requires working together, as well as the continued practice of social distancing and other daily habits that are key to reducing further risk of exposure to COVID-19. A little help can go a long way and this grant program will help businesses pay for necessary improvements to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as they continue to operate and/or reopen to the public. Through the COVID-19 Let’s Keep It Clean Grant Program, we can all help keep the our community, employees, customers, visitors and residents safe.”
Through the program, the CRA will help pay for sanitation enhancements made by plumbers, general contractors, and/or handymen in making businesses safe. To attract local business and talent, applicants must select to work with contractors and vendors that are located within the municipal boundaries of Delray Beach.
Expenses specifically eligible for reimbursement include the purchase of materials and installation of: touch-less toilets, sinks, and paper towel dispensers; door foot-grab attachments; acrylic shields/plexiglass as dividers; automatic soap and/or sanitizer dispensers; touch-less checkout systems; germicidal UV light air purification HVAC devices, and more. Expenses not specifically listed may be eligible at the sole discretion of the CRA.
According to Jeannite, the program helps to fulfill the CRA mission by sustaining the economic vitality of small businesses in the CRA District by assisting the business owners with the cost of making sanitation improvements to keep customers safe.
Business owners can apply for funding at any time while funding is available. She doesn’t believe that the grant will continue beyond this current fiscal year so it’s important to act quickly to take advantage of the program. Business owners are invited to visit www.delraycra.org/funding-assistance to learn more about the grant program and apply for assistance.
