Relief is in sight for businesses that depend on one-on-one interactions with their customers and were adversely affected by the prolonged Canadian border closure. From October 4-18, these customer-facing businesses will be eligible to apply for the Working Washington Grants’ Border Business Relief Program.
This program will focus on customer-facing businesses that have experienced hardship, specifically due to the COVID-19 border restrictions. The maximum award amount of $50,000 would depend on any prior Working Washington awards the business may have received from Commerce or affiliated partner programs.
To be eligible, businesses must:
- Report annual revenues of $5 million or less in 2019 to the Department of Revenue
- Be located in Clallam, Jefferson, San Juan, Island, Skagit, Whatcom, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, or Pend Oreille counties
- Show proof of the pandemic’s impact on business by documenting business income reduction due to COVID or related public health measures
- Document adherence to all required COVID-19 public health measures
