The PIVOT Food Services Grant will support Fairfax County restaurant and food services establishments that have experienced economic distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Food Services Program includes but is not limited to restaurants and other eating places, breweries, wineries and distilleries, and special food services like caterers and independent food trucks. Examples of Eligible Businesses
How to Apply:
- Applications will open at 9:00 AM on June 23 and close at midnight on July 9, 2021.
Individual Grant Awards:
- Not to exceed $18,000 for restaurants with gross revenues less than $3.5M in 2019.
- Not to exceed $1,500 for independent food trucks. [See specific food truck information]
- One grant available per location.
Selection Criteria:
If more applicants apply than funding permits, a lottery will be held to select eligible businesses.
Business Operating Status:
Must be open or temporarily closed, planning to reopen by August 31, 2021.
Types of Ownership:
- Corporations, partnerships, and LLC’s: all are potentially eligible if business is operated out of a physical storefront.
- Sole Proprietors are eligible, subject to the following:
- Must meet minimum eligibility requirements for businesses.
- Must have physical storefront – lease or lease equivalent required.
- Did not receive unemployment benefits for more than six months during calendar year 2020.
- Demonstrate 51% annual income is derived from applicant business
Approved Uses of Grant Funds:
Grant funds can be used for: working capital, equipment, rent, debt payments, inventory, employee compensation, and other business critical operating expenses, and to implement COVID-19 prevention or mitigation tactics. Funding must be used to sustain or evolve the grant awardee business. No grant funds can be used to pay debts to close the business or start a new business. All grant awardees will be expected to enter into a grant agreement with Fairfax County. A condition of the grant will be that the grantee will in good faith maintain the business in Fairfax County through December 31, 2022. Potential grants will reimburse businesses for eligible costs incurred on or after March 3, 2021.
Required Documentation (subject to change prior to grant registration opening):
- Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- 2019 and 2020 year-end profit-and-loss statement, tax returns or similar statement of organizational financial standing
- Current Fairfax County BPOL license.
- Commercial lease, lease equivalent, deed or Landlord Affidavit
- Fairfax County Health Department Food Establishment Permit
- Have eligible reimbursable costs of up to 100% of the grant amount requested. Costs to be demonstrated by receipts/ invoices. Per Federal guidelines all expenses must have been incurred on or AFTER March 3, 2021, to be eligible for grant funding.
Minimum Criteria for Eligible Businesses:
- Must be located in Fairfax County, including the Towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna.
- Must have less than 500 employees.
- Must be revenue-generating prior to March 1, 2020.
- Annual receipts or gross revenue less than $3.5M (per establishment).
- Business must be able to demonstrate a 15% decrease in revenue during COVID-19 pandemic.
- Must have commercial storefront – “bricks-and-mortar.”
- Need to possess a current FFX County Health Department Food Establishment Permit.
- Businesses may have received other assistance including, but not limited to RISE, PPP, EIDL, REBUILD VA.[Note: Businesses are ineligible if they have received notice of award from SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund.]
Food Truck Eligibility:
- Food trucks that are independently owned and operate are eligible.
- Food trucks must operate from a commissary located in Fairfax County.
- Food Truck Page
Ineligible Businesses:
- Businesses are ineligible if they are located outside of Fairfax County, including if they are located in the City of Fairfax or the City of Falls Church, which are independent jurisdictions and not part of Fairfax County.
- Businesses are ineligible if they are permanently closed.
- Businesses are ineligible if they are only online or only or e-commerce.
- Businesses are ineligible if they are home based, non-commercial.
- Businesses are ineligible if they are food manufacturers.
- Businesses are ineligible if they have received notice of award from SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
For More Information:
For more information on the PIVOT Food Services Grant and how you can prepare to apply, please review:
Questions:
Questions regarding the grant or application process should be directed to pivotfairfax@ledcmetro.org