On Monday, October 19, 2020, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announced targeted grant programs to support businesses in industries particularly hard-hit due to the pandemic. These include first come, first served grants for the following categories of business:
- Restaurants and Bars - $20 million
- Cosmetic, Massage, and Body Art Services - $22 million
- Event Centers and Sports Arenas - $20 million
- Hotels and Convention Centers - $34 million
- Ethanol Producers - $15 million
- Zoos - $6.05 million
- Movie Theaters - $3.2 million
Grant applications open October 21, 2020 and will close November 13, 2020. For more information and to apply please go to https://mcrcares.servicenowservices.com/nebraska
At a press conference on October 19th, Governor Ricketts reported that this grant funding is part of the $1.25 billion Nebraska received in federal CARES Act funding to respond to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year. Under federal law, $166 million went directly to Omaha’s Douglas County, leaving $1.084 billion for the rest of the state. As of this time, only approximately $591 Million of that funding has been allocated which makes this targeted grant program possible. The State plans on releasing funding from this grant program by December 30, 2020.
Please see the attachment below for funding eligibility and application guidelines.