New Grant Opportunity for businesses located within Mount Vernon City Limits

EDASC on behalf of the City of Mount Vernon is now accepting grant applications worth up to $25,000 each supporting small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

A total of $300,000 in grant funds are available. The grant opportunity is provided by the City of Mount Vernon through CARES Act funding. EDASC is administering the grant.

This is the second grant opportunity provided by Mount Vernon during the COVID-19 crisis, with the city in July awarding a total of $100,000 to 15 microenterprises.

Mount Vernon Mayor Jill Boudreau said the city was pleased to offer another grant opportunity to local small businesses.

“A second round of funding for our local businesses and nonprofits is crucial right now,” Boudreau said. “The City Council and I are hoping that this infusion of support will make a meaningful impact at just the right time for businesses and organizations that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 restrictions. These grants are a beginning, but much of the work of stimulating our local economy will come from Mount Vernon residents going out and supporting Mount Vernon businesses this holiday season and beyond.”

Said EDASC CEO John Sternlicht, “We appreciate the Mayor and Council’s generosity in addressing the urgent needs of our small businesses, and it’s always an honor to partner with the city to make this happen.”

Download the application in English or Español.  (IMPORTANT: You must save this application to your computer and open it in Adobe Acrobat to being working on it if you intend to complete it digitally. DO NOT fill out the form in your web browser as you may have issues saving and emailing.)

Applications will be accepted immediately, with the deadline to apply 5 p.m. Oct. 30. Send completed applications, accompanying documents or questions to EDASC at mvgrant@skagit.org.

Businesses eligible to apply must have 25 or fewer employees measured as full-time equivalents and be located within Mount Vernon city limits. A city limits map can be found here. View the full eligibility criteria list on the application.

The grant can be used to help pay for eligible expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2020, including rent, utilities, safety improvements, technology upgrades, and more. A full list of eligible expenses is listed on the application.

EDASC will prioritize applications based on severity of the impact the business is facing, including from being forced to close by government-mandated closures, social distancing measures or illness. Awards will be approved on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the availability of funds.