Harris County Launches New $30 Million Small Business Recovery Program

Small businesses in the Houston area that are still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will soon have an opportunity to apply for help through a new Harris County initiative.

County Judge Lina Hidalgo this week announced plans for a $30 million emergency fund designed to support micro and small businesses. The fund will use money earmarked for Harris County’s recovery from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Texas nonprofit LiftFund will manage the distribution of funds to applicant organizations based on a transparent scoring system that prioritizes businesses and business owners in vulnerable areas, as well as businesses owned by minorities and women. Grants will range from $5,000 to $25,000.

Running a small business is a huge challenge, even in the good times, Hidalgo said when announcing the fund. The personal sacrifices that small business owners make to their communities day in and day out are enormous and we owe it to them to support them as we weather the COVID-19 crisis and associated economic challenges.

Harris County Commissioners approved the program on Aug. 10, and businesses can apply from Sept. 20 through a new website that will be linked from the county siteApplicants must be companies registered in Harris County with:

• 30 or fewer employees;
• annual sales of less than $500,000 in 2019 and 2020;
• and in operation before March 11, 2020.

Applications for the program will run for two weeks from September 20. A website with additional information for applicants is scheduled to go live on Aug. 20, Hidalgo said.

Harris County approved a similar small business emergency fund last year using federal funding from the CARES Act.

Get the latest guidance and information on COVID-19 from our resources page.