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Indiana Expands Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program

Indiana is expanding a small business COVID-19 relief program after it struggled to get many Hoosier businesses to apply.

The  Small Business Restart Grant program uses $30 million from the federal CARES Act. But, since June, the state only sent about $1 million out.

That’s in part because small businesses who received other federal COVID-19 relief funding were ineligible for the state’s grants. New changes to the program removed that barrier – businesses that accessed federal support like the Paycheck Protection Program can also get Restart grants.

The program, which was set to end Sept. 30, will also now run through November 1 for Marion County businesses and Dec. 1 for all other counties.

Businesses of less than 50 employees and with 2019 revenue of less than $5 million are eligible. They must also show monthly losses of at least 40 percent compared to pre-COVID revenues.

Small businesses can find more details and apply on the state's  Back On Track website.

For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page  here . 

Contact reporter Brandon at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at  @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon J. Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.