Mountain BizWorks has announced the first round of awards from the Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Grant Fund, supporting 276 small businesses with $3.69 million in grant funding. These grants are made possible by a community collaborative of funders and partners working to support local businesses through the Helene disaster.
Applicants to this grant program alone reported $215 million in combined physical damages and economic losses due to Hurricane Helene, with 843 applications received, requesting $18 million in funds to help rebuild their businesses.
About the incredible response, Esther Manheimer, the Mayor of Asheville, said, “These numbers – and Buncombe County going from the lowest unemployment rate in the state to one of the highest – reflect the urgent need for these grants and that additional federal and state resources will be needed to ensure that our local businesses have the support they need to recover and thrive.”
The fund is providing grants up to $25,000 to local Buncombe County-based small businesses that experienced severe impacts from Hurricane Helene. These businesses ranged from single-employee sole proprietorships to well-known restaurants, manufacturers, and retailers employing dozens of people.
“These grants that have been awarded reflect the range of businesses that make up the backbone of our economy,” said Kit Cramer, President & CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Most of our businesses are very small businesses which is what people love about them. However, even the most iconic firms in our region need support in these challenging times.”
Companies seeking to retain and re-hire local employees were prioritized in the grant process, and these funds will support 2,935 positions including helping to bring back 1,035 local jobs. 71% of the awards were to businesses with 10 or fewer employees.
On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, Buncombe County Chairwoman Amanda Edwards shared, “The County Commission is pleased to support a diverse group of businesses that are most impacted after a disaster. Supporting very small businesses was a key goal in approving funding.”
These grant awards reflect the diversity that makes Asheville and Buncombe County a vibrant local small business economy. Of the businesses funded, 79% are to underserved small businesses, including those owned by women, entrepreneurs of color, or low-income individuals. The grants support rebuilding and reopening costs including clean-up, replacing lost inventory, temporary potable water solutions, paying employees, and more.
Matt Raker, Executive Director of Mountain BizWorks, said, “We’re thrilled to be able to award $3.7 million to help our small businesses get back on track after Hurricane Helene. We also know that demand was more than five times the amount of funding available, and we are continuing to raise funds alongside all of our partners to support additional grant rounds.”
Major funding has been provided by Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, along with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Mountain Strong Fund and the Mountain BizWorks WNC Strong Fund, representing hundreds of generous donations from local, regional, and national contributors. Mountain BizWorks is the grant program administrator.
To contribute to ongoing small business recovery, donate to the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Mountain Strong for Business Recovery Fund and the regional WNC Strong initiative.
Information on the range of small business recovery resources available including grants, loans, and guidance can be found at wncstrongtogether.org.
