The deadline for the Whitman County and Community Action Center’s Community Development Block Grant has been extended to June 4. 

Jeff Guyett, Community Action Center executive director, said the grant is federally funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce. 

Of the money that was allocated to Whitman County, which is over $115,000, about $80,000 will be used to help small businesses recover economically from COVID-19, Guyett said.  

The CAC is a sub-recipient working with Whitman County to disperse the grant to small businesses, he said. 

Guyett said the competitive grant process could reward up to $5,000 for 16 small businesses each. The money will help pay for things such as utility bills, rent and payroll costs. 

He said the basic eligibility for the grant requires the business and its owner to be located in the county. 

The business must be “brick-and-mortar,” which means it must have a physical location. In the application, a business owner’s household income must be “low to moderate,” Guyett said.  

Businesses must also have at least five full-time or full-time equivalent employees to qualify, according to the Pullman Chamber of Commerce website. 

Businesses must have been financially impacted by COVID-19 to qualify. They must also have been closed due to the pandemic or Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, according to the website. 

Applying for the grant does not guarantee financial assistance as funding is limited, according to the website.