Clark County offers small business grants for rent, retrofit

Small businesses in unincorporated Clark County may be eligible for up to $10,000 in grant funding to cover overdue rent.

Another county program is offering as much as $5,000 in reimbursements for costs incurred complying with public health guidelines amid the pandemic.

Applications are now available for both the Small Business Rental Assistance program and the Small Business Protective Retrofit Grant. Business owners will be allowed to submit those applications between July 21 and Aug. 4.

The efforts acknowledge that county officials expect some businesses could be on the verge of eviction after they’ve been forced to close or limit operations as state officials seek to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Steve Sisolak’s moratorium on commercial evictions expired July 1.

While the rental assistance program is set up to assist with back rent, the protective retrofit program is planned to offset costs including the purchase of personal protective equipment for employees and installation of no-touch doors and walk-up windows, according to the county.

Small business owners may apply for both grants. Businesses must have 20 or fewer employees and not be located within an incorporated city to qualify for either grant program.

Applications and additional eligibility rules can be found at ClarkCountyNV.gov/EconomicDevelopment.

The Nevada Small Business Development Center at UNLV is providing assistance to business owners who may need help filling out applications. For more information, visit UNLV.edu/sbdc or call 702-895-5019.

The county recommends that business owners with legal questions unrelated to the grant applications contact the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada at 702-386-1070.

Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.