The Department of Commerce’s Working Washington Small Business Grant Program provides funds to help small businesses that have struggled due to COVID-19. Commerce ran three rounds of grants in 2020. Commerce is now opening a fourth round. The state legislature approved $240 million for this fourth round of grants (HB 1368, signed into law on Feb. 19, 2021). Some of the criteria outlined in this legislation include: • Businesses must receive their grant award by June 30, 2021. • Commerce must take into account previous Working Washington awards distributed by the agency or affiliated partners. This means grant awards will vary. The maximum grant award will be $25,000. • Grants must be equitably distributed statewide and to historically underserved populations. View all Working Washington Grant FAQs.(https://commercegrants.com/grant-4/faqs/)

These grants are aimed at for-profit small businesses in industries that have hard costs associated with their operations, and faced the most significant challenges to paying those hard costs due to mandated closures. Hard costs include things like rent, utilities or payroll. We encourage all eligible brick and mortar businesses that were required to close or significantly reduce operations due to public health and safety measures to apply. View all Working Washington Grant FAQs.(https://commercegrants.com/grant-4/faqs/)

To be considered for this grant, an applicant must be: • Active for-profit business or individual DBA located in Washington state (“does business as”.) Businesses can only apply for one location per business (identified by UBI or EIN). • Has been in business before January 1, 2020 and filed a 2019 tax return. • Generates at least 51% of revenue in Washington State. • Operates from a physical brick and mortar location in Washington state (separate from owner’s home). • Reported gross annual revenue between $25,000 – $5 million in 2019. • Experienced a decrease in revenue and/or additional costs incurred between 2019 and 2020 due to COVID-19 public health and safety measures. View all Working Washington Grant FAQs.(https://commercegrants.com/grant-4/faqs/)

Applicants will need: • WA State Unified Business Identifier (UBI)* number (check this website to make sure your business license is active and in good standing). • *Tribal owned businesses may provide alternative business validation • Copy of filed 2019 tax return • 2020 tax return, if filed. If 2020 documents are not available, the business owner must attest and estimate amount of annual gross revenues. • Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), if applicable • Valid Government-issued photo ID • Completed W-9 form (digital copy accepted) View all Working Washington Grant FAQs.(https://commercegrants.com/grant-4/faqs/)

As the SBA works on building the application platform, it would be in your best interest to register for a DUNS number so you can then register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). SVOG applicants need to register with the federal government’s SAM at www.SAM.gov to apply and cannot use an ITIN, EIN, or other means of identification or registration. Also, gather documents that demonstrate your number of employees and monthly revenues so you can calculate the average number of qualifying employees you had over the prior 12 months. Lastly, determine the extent of gross earned revenue loss you experienced between 2019 and 2020. This and additional information such as floor plans, contract copies and other evidence will be needed to apply for an SVOG. View all Working Washington Grant FAQs.(https://commercegrants.com/grant-4/faqs/)

The portal will be open for 12 days. It will open the morning of March 29 and close on April 9 at 5:00 p.m. PDT.

Eligible applications will be reviewed based on the following priority criteria: • Industries that had to close as a result of safety and public health measures. • Size of the business (measured by 2019 revenue). • Lost revenue between 2019 and 2020 as well as added expenses to maintain safe operations. • To ensure equitable distribution, Commerce will also consider businesses operating in a rural or low-income community or that is owned by someone from a historically underserved population (minority, veteran, LGBTQ+ or women-owned).

The Technical Support Centers will provide support by phone and/or email to any applicants with questions related to the Working Washington Grants: Round 4 program. There will be two support centers: One offers email and phone support in English and is managed by our partner, Submittable. The hours are as follows: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday Email & Voicemails: Response provided within 8 business hours We also plan to offer phone support in eight different languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, Amharic, Arabic, Somali and Tagalog). The hours are expected to be: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday & Sunday

No. All applicants who meet eligibility requirements and apply between March 29 and April 9 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, will be considered.

The application portal offers a feature so you can change the language for buttons, menus, static text, and dialog boxes throughout the site. However, applications must be submitted in English. The application portal will be supported by the following languages: Arabic, Amharic, Bosnian, German, English, Spanish, Canadian French, French, Hindi, Hmong, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese – Mandarin, Traditional Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Punjabi, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Yes, you will need to apply again if you applied in any round as this program requires different criteria than prior rounds.

Successful grantees must use the funding for costs incurred between March 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021, as required by HB 1368. Awardees are able to expend grant funding for any eligible expenses due to the impact of COViD-19 as long as they have not been previously funded. If all responses for the particular incurred cost are “true” for all five statements below, then the applicant can feel confident the cost is eligible: • The expense is connected to the COVID-19 emergency. • The expense is “necessary” to continue business operations. • The expense is not filling a shortfall in government revenues. (i.e. taxes, licenses, state, county, federal, and/or city fees) • The Business will self–attest that the expense is not funded by any other funder, whether private, State or Federal. • The business wouldn’t be requesting assistance with expenses if they had not been impacted COVID-19. Any expenses outside of the March 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 timeframe would not be considered reimbursable. Commerce is not requesting receipts as a part of the grant award, but, in the event of an audit, the business must show proof of expenditures.

Due to HB 1368 as set by the state legislature, the funds must be spent on expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021.

Ineligible expenses include: • Lobbying • Alcohol (other than for inventory needs of their business) • Salary increases, bonuses and dividends to owner(s) or investor(s) • Costs already reimbursed previously by federal programs (e.g. SBA Paycheck Protection Program) or expenses previously reimbursed by any of grant or loan program (double-dipping) • Personal expenses

Businesses that operate out of a location that is not their home face higher costs and were more likely to be required by public health measures to completely close or significantly reduce or modify operations. The intent is to assist businesses struggling with those costs. Examples include paying rent and utilities for a business location despite being closed or paying for costly modifications such as plastic barriers/partitions, outdoor tents and frequent sanitation. We know home-based businesses have also endured hardships. Every Commerce grant program has had different requirements, whether set by the legislature or because of the most apparent economic impacts. This program is a combination of both, abiding by HB 1368 while also focusing on businesses that have faced particular hardship due to Proclamations 20-25.8-20-25.12.

Yes. Though we ask applicants to provide this information, it will not change your eligibility or affect the review of your application.

Only one grant is allowed per UBI. If a business owner has multiple businesses with unique UBI numbers for each, they may qualify for more than one Working Washington Round 4 grant.

No, religious organizations do not qualify for this grant program. However, if their primary function (source of revenue) is within a sector that is eligible, they may apply. Examples include overnight camps, music venues or a restaurant.