McMaster announces new CARES Act grant programs to help small businesses

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - On Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster, along with agency officials and business owners, announced two new grant programs made available through the SC CARES Act: the Minority and Small Business Relief Grant Program and the Nonprofit Relief Grant Program.

Both programs will award grant funds to to small and minority businesses and nonprofit organizations as reimbursements for qualifying expenses (providing services or revenue loss) incurred due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Grant awards for the Minority and Small Business Grant Program will range from $2,500 to $25,000.

To qualify for a grant a business must:

employ 25 or fewer employees
be physically located in South Carolina
been in operation from Oct. 13, 2019 to present and
have experienced a business impact due to COVID-19.

Grant awards for the Nonprofit Relief Grant Program will range from $2,500 to $50,000.

To qualify for a grant an organization must:

be designated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the IRS and registered as a public charity in S.C.
be physically located in South Carolina
been in operation from Oct. 13, 2019 to present and
have experienced a business impact due to COVID-19.

The application process for both programs will begin on Oct. 19. Applications must be received no later than Nov. 1.

Applicants who need assistance can call the SC CARES Call Center at 803-670-5170, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can also send an email to SCCares@admin.sc.gov.

To access the online application, click here.