SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY GUIDE
****************************** Update as of December 18, 2020 ******************************
The Minnesota Legislature has approved a $217 million relief package for b
usinesses impacted by COVID-19 executive orders. About half of the package will be given to counties to distribute through grant programs to local businesses by March 15, 2021.
Through the package, Ramsey County will receive $10.7 million to distribute to businesses. At this time, we anticipate that most of the funding will be used to supplement the Small Business Relief Fund.
Launched in June, the Small Business Relief Fund has been investing $15 million of CARES Act funding into Ramsey County businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs / sole proprietors. A third round of applications for the program opened on Nov. 18, the same week that Governor Walz issued Executive Order 20-99, which dialed back restrictions on bars, restaurants and gyms. Applications closed Dec. 4.
The volume of applications received during late November and early December exceeded the original $15 million budget for the fund. We estimate the outstanding applications total around $8-9 million in funding requests. The new $10.7 million in state funding will be prioritized to fulfill these outstanding applications.
Information on future application periods for the Small Business Relief Fund or other grant programs will be available once we’ve further reviewed existing applications to determine the amount of remaining funds available.
To receive an alert as to when Ramsey County might begin accepting applications for funding, please provide an email address and description of your business here.
Ramsey County has consolidated the resources below to help ready and recover your business and workforce from the impacts of COVID-19. Please revisit this page often as new resources and programs become available.
Additional county resources can be found on ramseycounty.us/coronavirus.
Language Resource: Phone and Email Help
The City of Saint Paul has a new phone line to answer questions about the City’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Translators are available to answer questions in Hmong, Karen, Oromo, Somali, and Spanish. Call 651-266-6000 or email LanguageResources@ci.stpaul.mn.us.
*Please note: Service available until December 30, 2020*
Ramsey County also provides a telephone interpretation service in 170 languages. The service is available by calling 651-266-8500 - the receptionist will work with you to connect with staff from any area in the county and a translator to assist you.
