Since we announced Asheville Recovers Together on May 29, our team has been working through all 771 applications and the 4,000+ supporting documents that came with them. Over half of those applications included at least one document that didn’t meet program requirements. We knew in advance that some applicants might need extra time or support with the document requirements, so we built a document revision period into the process. Without this, the program would have automatically declined every applicant with a paperwork issue.
However, the number of applicants that needed this grace period was larger than expected. To date, we’ve received and reviewed over 700 re-submitted documents, each of which required detailed review by a senior team member. This is why our timeline for this phase has shifted from late September to late October. Though it has taken more time, we believe supporting all qualified applicants this way is the right decision. As we all know, Asheville Recovers Together.
What Applicants Can Expect:
- In the next two weeks: Applicants who didn’t complete their documents or don’t meet eligibility requirements will get an email letting them know they’ve been declined.
- No decline email? Grantees can assume their application is still moving forward in the queue.
- If recommended for funding: There’s a pre-award phase that’s standard for federally funded programs. This includes confirming state and federal business registration, documenting unmet need, cross-checking for duplicate benefits from other assistance programs, and finalizing the jobs and expenses the grant will support. We left these steps out of the application so applying would be easier, and our team will walk grantees through each step.
Our Commitment:
We’re working to keep this program accessible to local businesses while meeting federal requirements, and we’re committed to getting these funds out as quickly possible.
Note:
We continue to receive questions about why this grant program is only for businesses in the City of Asheville. The State of North Carolina and the City of Asheville both received allocations of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. To follow the federal process, both entities sought public input as they designed recovery programs tailored to unmet needs. The City of Asheville set aside some of their funding for the Small Business Support Program, which includes the Asheville Recovers Together Grant Program.
For more information about Asheville Recovers Together, visit ashevillerecoverstogether.org.
