The Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency Grant Program (R3) and First in Flight Fund are key parts of the relief and recovery actions Snohomish County is taking to help businesses impacted by the pandemic.  Funded by CARES Act resources, these two programs were created to provide economic relief to small businesses and aerospace companies in Snohomish County. 

The application process for the Small Business R3 Grant Program is now open.  Information and applications can be found on the Workforce Snohomish website. It is anticipated that it will take most businesses less than 30 minutes to apply. It is also anticipated awards will made within five weeks of application. Grants in amounts up to $25,000 will be awarded to qualifying businesses. Businesses applying for grants under this program must: 

• Be licensed to do business in the State of Washington. 
• Be a business physically located in Snohomish County. 
• Have 20 or fewer employees (including the business owner/worker). 
• Be in operation for one or more years. 
• Certify at least a 25% reduction in revenue attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Able to demonstrate that the business was a going concern before March 23, 2020. 

The First in Flight Fund is designed to assist tenants at the airport, help other Snohomish County aerospace businesses sustain operations, keep local residents employed, and support the County’s overall recovery efforts. Grants in amounts up to $1 Million will be awarded to qualifying businesses.  The application process is now open and available at the Workforce Snohomish website. It is anticipated that it will take most businesses less than 30 minutes to apply. Awards are expected to be made within five weeks of application. Businesses applying for grants under this program must: 

• Be a current Snohomish County Airport tenant or aerospace business and have employees on-site or in Snohomish County as of March 1, 2020. 
• Meet all conditions of the Coronavirus Relief Fund CARES Act support received by Snohomish County. 
• Be a small business. 
• Be in business continuously since March 23, 2019. 

Sno-Isle Libraries is launching the new Virtual Worker Retraining Project to help out-of-work individuals gain access to in-demand jobs in Information Technology.  They plan to assist 20 individuals achieve a CompTIA A+ certificate, an entry-level IT certification that is required for many IT help desk jobs.  

Sno-Isle is currently inviting potential participants to apply to this pilot program. They will accept 20 applicants, providing each with a study guide and, eventually, an exam voucher for the two tests required for CompTIA A+ certification.  Participants will be placed in a “learning circle” led by two library staff facilitators. Sno-Isle staff will not act as content experts or teachers, but rather facilitators, allowing for peer-led discussions around the content. 

Individuals who live in the Sno-Isle service area (Snohomish or Island Counties,) have some beginner IT background and are ready to study for this test, and have had their employment impacted by COVID-19 are encouraged to apply. Applicants who are underrepresented in IT will be prioritized.  Applications are now open and will close on June 10. 

Puget Sound Energy announced they will be making funds available to help customers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through its Crisis-Affected Customer Assistance Program (CACAP). This includes customers who recently became unemployed, partially unemployed, or cannot work. The $11 million are carry-over funds under PSE’s Low Income Program. With approval from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, PSE made revisions to its program to make these funds available to a broader group of customers. 

Additional funds are also available in PSE’s other assistance programs, including the Warm Home Fund, PSE Home Energy Lifeline Program and Weatherization Assistance Program for income-eligible customers.