New County Grant Program for Suffolk Breweries

The Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning has announced an expansion of the Small Business Assistance Grant Program to now serving breweries and food trucks under the “Backstop Program.”

The Suffolk County Consortium Small Business Assistance Grant Program funds are a one-time payment granted to eligible applicants in an amount up to $5,000 for businesses with up to 10 full-time equivalent employees, and $10,000 for businesses with 11-50 full-time equivalent employees.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: An Applicant Must:

1. Be a Suffolk County small business owner (applicant must be 51+% majority owner) whose business is located within one of the participating Consortium municipalities (see below).

2. Eligible businesses are: gyms, hair salons/barbers, nail salons, restaurants, bars/taverns, food trucks, breweries, b&bs, motels, retail, service industry (personal care, dry cleaning), amusement/recreation (mini-golf, amusement parks)

3. Have been in operation prior to March 1, 2019.

4. Be in operation at the time of application (businesses that have ceased operations due to the pandemic are ineligible).

5. Have fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees.

6. Demonstrate loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

7. Demonstrate they have at least one (1) low-income employee they would like to retain.

8. Not be a not-for-profit organization

9. Not be in default or arrears on past or current Federal or State financing or funding programs.

10. Not be in conflict of interest with Suffolk County, the County Legislature, the local municipality, or the operating program agency.

ELIGIBLE AREA OF ASSISTANCE: Applicants must own an eligible business located within the Suffolk CDBG Consortium area, which includes:

Town of East Hampton – Excluding incorporated villages, except the Village of Sag Harbor.

Town of Riverhead – The entire town.

Town of Smithtown – Excluding incorporated villages, except the Village of the Branch

Town of Southampton – Excluding incorporated villages, except the Villages of Sag Harbor, Southampton, Westhampton Beach, and Westhampton Dunes.

Town of Southold – The entire town.

Town of Shelter Island – Excluding incorporated villages.

Please note that the Town of Islip, Town of Huntington, Town of Babylon, and the Town of Brookhaven are NOT part of the Suffolk County CDBG Consortium. Businesses to be funded cannot be located within these towns.