Today during a press conference NC Governor Cooper announced the availability of a Job Retention Grant, up to $250,000 through Federal Covid-19 funds.
Job Retention Grant (JRG)
If your business or non-profit organization experienced interruption due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the new Job Retention Grant (JRG) Program may be able to offer assistance.
To qualify to receive these grant funds, your organization:
Must meet some specific eligibility requirements, which you can review below.
We also encourage you to read carefully these instructions, which will help you gather the information and documentation you’ll need before…
You fill out our online application form.
We’re publishing answers to the most frequent questions about the program here, and you can also review the underlying law that authorizes the program.
We’re accepting applications from now until our application deadline of Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 11:59pm. No applications will be accepted after that time. No grants will be awarded before the September 1 deadline, and the potential amount of each grant will not be determined until all applications have been reviewed and awarded.
Our JRG team is available to assist you. Email your questions or comments to: jrg@nccommerce.com.
Eligibility Requirements
An employer, including both private businesses and certain types of nonprofits, may be eligible for a grant under this program if it meets all of the following conditions:
It employs at least ninety percent (90%) of the number of full-time employees during the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020) in North Carolina as it employed in North Carolina for the pay period ending on or about February 28, 2020.
It demonstrates that it experienced an economic loss in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic as follows:
For a business, its sales for the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020) are at least ten percent (10%) below its sales for the same period in the preceding calendar year.
For a nonprofit, its gross receipts for the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020) are at least ten percent (10%) below its gross receipts for the same period in the preceding calendar year.
It did not participate in the federal Paycheck Protection Program, the federal Main Street Lending Program, or the North Carolina Rapid Recovery Loan Program.
Eligible Applicant Type
These classes of businesses or non-profit organizations can apply for a Job Retention Grant.
A publicly held business
A privately held business that has at least one W-2 employee and is subject to state income tax
Nonprofit organizations, of which no part of the net earnings inures to the benefit of any private stockholder or individual. These non-profit types include:
Generally, 501(c)(3) nonprofits – Cemetery corporations and corporations organized for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
Generally, 501 (c)(7) nonprofits – Clubs organized and operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation, and other nonprofitable purposes.
Business leagues, chambers of commerce, merchants’ associations, or boards of trade not organized for profit. (generally, 501(c)(6) nonprofits)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Applications for this type of nonprofit are being accepted on a provisional basis. This type of nonprofit is not currently eligible for the JRG program, according to current law. However, the N.C. General Assembly has indicated an interest in making this type of nonprofit eligible. So, while we will accept an application from this type of nonprofit, it will only receive a grant if the statute is amended to make them eligible.
The maximum Job Retention Grant amount may be up to two months of the eligible entity’s average monthly payroll costs from 2019, plus an additional 25% of that amount.
The grant amount may not exceed $250,000.
The total of all funds granted under the Job Retention Grant Program may not exceed $15,000,000.
If the total amount of grants requested by qualified applicants exceeds the maximum amount of funds available, each grant amount will then be reduced on a proportionate basis prior to the grant being awarded.
What you’ll need:
You’ll need to gather these documents before you attempt to complete the online application form – you will upload and submit these as part of your application process:
- Your NCUI 101 Report for 2020 Q1 (January – March) – (the NCUI 101 is your Employer’s Quarterly Tax and Wage Report)
- NCUI 101 Report for 2020 Q2 (April – June)
- 2019 federal W-3 document
- 2019 Payroll documentation for your North Carolina employees
You’ll also need the following information with you, before starting your application:
- Contact information for the person applying for the grant, as well as a second person (optional)
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- N.C. Secretary of State ID Number (SOS ID – look up your ID here if needed)
- Number of direct full-time employees (at least 35 hours per week) IN NORTH CAROLINA on the last day of the payroll period that ended immediately prior to March 1, 2020
- Number of direct full-time employees (at least 35 hours per week) IN NORTH CAROLINA on the last day of the payroll period that ended immediately prior to July 1, 2020.
- Total gross receipts of the Applicant (for all locations where the Applicant operates, not just in North Carolina) for the period between March 1, 2019 and May 31, 2019
- Total gross receipts of the Applicant (Applicant-wide, not just in North Carolina) for the period between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020
We ask you to fill out the application form as completely as possible. Please keep in mind that once your online application has been submitted, it cannot be revised.
More info: https://www.nccommerce.com/grants-incentives/disaster-recovery/job-retention-grant-jrg