Organizations in Richland County impacted by COVID-19 have until this Friday, Oct. 14 to apply for emergency federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The County is making $16 million in ARPA funding available to help small businesses, nonprofits and other organizations impacted by the pandemic. Eligible organizations can apply for the funds online via ZoomGrants: https://bit.ly/rc-arpagrant. Only completed applications will be considered.
Applicants may apply in up to three of the following categories, listed with their amount of funding available. A separate application is required for each category:
- Affordable housing - $4 million
- Addressing food insecurity - $2 million
- Broadband services in underserved areas - $2 million
- Services for unhoused people - $2 million
- Education assistance - $1 million
- Home repairs for seniors - $1 million
- Nonprofits - $1 million
- Small businesses (501(c) certificate not required) - $1 million
- Workforce training - $1 million
- Youth and recreational services - $1 million
Richland County has developed a list of helpful tips to assist organizations looking to apply. Find that information, along with other links to help with the ARPA process, at https://bit.ly/rc-arpagrants.
Third-party vendor Guidehouse (formerly known as Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC) will review all applications to ensure projects qualify for funding. In September, County officials partnered with Guidehouse for a series of informational sessions on ARPA funding.
Find all four of those sessions on the County’s YouTube page by navigating to the “ARPA Grant Applicant Info Sessions 2022” playlist: www.youtube.com/user/richlandonline/playlists.
For technical assistance with applications, call 803-576-1355 or 803-576-5459. Learn more about ARPA on the County’s website: www.richlandonline.com/arpafunding.