Thank you for your interest in applying for the La Porte Cares Small Business Relief Fund. To be eligible, the small business must meet all of the following criteria:

• Businesses with 50 employees or less at the time of the City of La Porte's COVID-19 local disaster declaration on March 13, 2020.
• Must be located within La Porte city limits and operate out of a physical location in La Porte.
  
  • Physical location includes “brick and mortar” structure, single-family homes, and other types of physical locations in La Porte. Locations will be verified with the review of Certificate of Occupancy as granted by the City of La Porte Building Inspection.
• Business must have been in operation since March 13, 2019.
• Registered to do business in the State of Texas.
• Demonstrate a 25% or more loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Annual gross revenue must be under $5 million.
• Owner/Applicant is not currently in bankruptcy and has not filed bankruptcy in the last 12 months.
• Owner/Applicant is current with City property taxes and City fees, or has a payment plan in place with the City as of April 30, 2020.

Ineligible Businesses include:

• Business with more than 50 employees at the time of application
• Business with an operating location outside of the City of La Porte’s incorporated limits
• Non-profit/Not-for-profit organizations
• Businesses that have filed for bankruptcy as of January 2020 or are currently in bankruptcy
• National franchises, excluding independently owned franchises
• Pyramid Businesses
• Gambling establishments
• Real estate developers
• Real estate businesses (single-family, multi-family, commercial, short term rental)
• Investors
• Government entities/departments
• Hobby businesses
• Sexually oriented businesses (live performances, product sales, items, or materials)
• Political and lobbying concerns
• Religious organizations
• Business suspended or debarred from doing work with the federal government
• Predatory lending businesses
• Pawn shops
• Package liquor establishments
• Tattoo parlors
• Smoke/Vape shops

Additionally, businesses engaged in illegal activities, those not in good standing with local, state, or federal tax authorities, and those with owner(s) or partner(s) currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings are ineligible to apply. 

Other Requirements:

Complete list of eligibility and requirements are detailed in the La Porte Cares Small Business Relief Fund, available under the Library tab.