Grant Summary

Uintah County Economic Development has developed and will administer a matching grant program to eligible businesses to assist with business growth. This grant will offer assistance with a variety of needs for business growth. The purpose of the Small Business Micro-Grant program is to provide local businesses with financial resources to acquire new equipment, improve facilities, and/or any undertaking that will allow for an expansion of services, create local jobs, or increase economic growth within Uintah County. Grant applications will be reviewed by the Small Business Micro-Grant Review Committee. The approval of grant applications is based on availability of funds and the qualifications and approval process outlined below. Applicants are encouraged to read through the qualifications and approval process prior to submitting a completed application. The Small Business Micro-Grant is a post-performance, 50/50 matching grant; funds will be dispersed upon submission of receipts for costs incurred by the applicant and at the discretion of Review Committee.

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Grant Eligibility

Grant applicants must meet all eligibility requirements listed below at the time of application submission.
     • The principal place of business is located within Uintah County.
     • The business must be registered with the State of Utah.
     • When applicable, the business must have an active business license with Uintah County or local municipality within Uintah County.
     • Grant funds must be used on or within the business property located within Uintah County.
     • For Equipment Acquisition Projects:
               o Equipment must be installed, stored, retained, on business property or within Uintah County.
               o Equipment must be primarily used in Uintah County.
               o Applicant must maintain ownership of equipment for no less than 2 years after acquisition.
               o Applicant must perform or provide for regular maintenance of equipment to ensure continued operability.
                          - Uintah County maintains the right to inquire with applicant for up to 2 years following project completion.
                          - Failure to maintain ownership and/or operability of equipment will result in legal action to return, in full amount, original grant funds to Uintah County.

     • For Facility Improvements Projects:
               o The structure on the property must be zoned or permitted appropriately for application use.
               o Applicant must be the property owner or tenant with a valid lease with owner approval of project implementation.
               o The property must be in good standing with Uintah County and local municipality (if applicable). Property, Sales, and any other tax obligations must be current.
               o The Property must be in good standing with the Utah State Tax Commission.
     • Projects cannot already be completed prior to application submission+.
     • Applicant has not received Small Business Micro-Grant funds for the same business entity amounting to $5,000.00 within the previous 12-months.
 

Grant Parameters

     • Grant funds will provide reimbursement for up to fifty percent (50%) of the incurred cost of an eligible project. For example, if a total project cost is $5,000.00, the matching grant will reimburse $2,500.00 to the project.
     • The minimum matching grant is $250.00 – indicating a minimum total project cost of $500.00.
     • The maximum matching grant is $5,000.00 regardless of the overall project cost.
     • The Grant funds are based on the actual cost of the project. Estimates or bids submitted at the time of application only reserve the grant award and may not reflect the final grant funding.
     • Volunteer work by the owner, manager, or others as In-Kind labor is not applicable and should not be included in the applicant match portion.

     • Applicants will receive an award letter showing the approved grant amount following the approval process.
     • Grant funds will be dispersed upon submission of receipt for equipment acquisition or upon project completion and if needed, inspection, and permit completion (if applicable).
     • Applicants may request grant funds be dispersed before acquisition or project completion; approval will be determined at the discretion of the Review Committee.
     • Uintah County has permission to use photos and descriptions of all projects funded with Small Business Micro-Grant funds for any  reporting or promotional purposes.
 

Attachments

Completed applications should be submitted with, but not limited to the following attachments:
     • Quotes from retailers, distributors, contractors, etc.
     • If applicable, lease agreements and written approval from the property owner approving project.
     • Before and After Photos: Application will include photos of the project area before the project.
               o Applicant will then provide photos of completed projects before grant funds are distributed.
 

Eligible Projects

     • Equipment/machinery that will allow for either new goods or improved goods or services.
     • Equipment/machinery that will allow for increased/ more efficient production of goods or services.
     • Facility improvements that will accommodate new equipment/machinery.
     • Facility Improvements that will accommodate more customers or service.
     • Software development that will improve productivity or efficiency.
     • Matching funds for larger state or federal grant.
     • All projects must consist of quality products/materials. 

 

Ineligible Projects
     • Cosmetic improvements to facilities.
     • Maintenance or repairs to facilities.
     • Employee Payroll
     • Tax liabilities
     • Incurred penalties, fines, legal fees.
     • Utility payments – heating, cooling, water/sewer, phone/internet.
     • Mortgage/rent payments.
     • Projects determined by the Review Committee which do NOT meet the purposes of the Small Business Micro-Grant.

 

Grant Review and Approval Process

Upon submission of a complete application, the application packet will be reviewed by the Review Committee; the Review Committee is comprised of individuals recommended by the Uintah County Economic Opportunity Advisory Board and Confirmed by the Uintah County Commission. Various aspects of the application will be examined by the Review Committee to ensure the project is consistent and aligned with the goals and purposes of the Small Business Micro-Grant. Review Committee members are required to disclose any conflicts of interest related to a submitted application. In the case of conflicts of interest, Review Committee members will be recused from application review.

Minimum Mandatory Requirements

The following are mandatory Minimum Requirements that MUST be met or exceeded and must be specifically addressed or referenced in the submitted application to be eligible for consideration. If the following points are not addressed, the application will be disqualified from the application evaluation.
     • Business AND project are located in Uintah County, Utah.
     • The Business is registered with the State of Utah
     • The business license is current with: Uintah County, Ballard City, Naples City, or Vernal City (if applicable).
     • The applicant has not received Uintah County Small Business Micro-Grant funds in the previous 12 months.
     • The Project intent is to acquire equipment, improve facilities, or expand services.
 

Scoreable Technical Criteria

The Review Committee will evaluate a series of factors based on individual applications. The scorable criteria will be subject to Review Committee determinations and will be scored on a scale of 0-5. Technical criteria will include, but not limited to: (1) increase/expansion of services offered, (2) creation of local jobs, (3) grant amount compared to overall project costs, (4) feasibility to complete the project, and (5) timeline to complete the project. Application should address in detail how the project will meet each area of the Technical Criteria.

 

Approved projects are expected to be completed in accordance with application details. Should a project not be completed in accordance with the approved application details and review of the Review Committee, or in accordance with the provided documentation, as approved in the Award Letter, the grant funds may not be paid or may be paid in part.
 

Further Review

The Review Committee may deem that modifications to an application are required or may reject an application entirely on the basis of the subjective criteria. The Review Committee may request additional information and documentation to clarify details of the project. Grant parameters and eligibility are subject to change at any time. Grant applications will be evaluated using a standard scoresheet to determine the project eligibility based on the parameters at the time of submission. Scoresheets will be completed individually by members of the Review Committee then collected and calculated by the Uintah County Economic Development Director. The Review Committee may solicit input from a third-party to ensure viability of a project. Grant applicants acknowledge that they are willing to assist and participate with Uintah County in responding to surveys to capture data (such as job number, productivity, economic impacts, etc.) to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Small Business Micro-Grant. Upon approval by the Review Committee, the Uintah County Economic Development Director will provide an Award Letter to the applicant and present the names of the grant recipients to the Uintah County Commission during the next Commission Meeting.
 

Reimbursement

For approved applications, reimbursements will be paid out upon demonstration of a completed project as described in the application and review of the Review Committee. Documentation of funds expended by the applicant will be required, as well as an on-site inspection by Uintah County Economic Development Director. If the Economic Development Director is not available for inspection, another
member of the Review Committee may perform the inspection. Documentation may include paid invoices, receipts, or other proof of expenditures. Additional documentation may be required, such as a successful final inspection report. The applicant is required to provide “before” and “after” photos of the project with the reimbursement documentation. Should a project not be completed in accordance with the application and review of the Review Committee, or in accordance with the provided documentation, as approved in the Award Letter, the grant funds may not be paid or may be paid in part. Approved projects must be completed within 12 months of the acceptance of Approval Letter. Applicants may request in writing additional time for project completion; approval of extension requests will be determined by the Review Committee on a case by case basis. Failure to complete a project by the deadline may result in funds not being dispersed.
 

Applicant may request modifications to the application. Approval of modification requests will be determined by the Review Committee on a case by case basis. Modification approval must be obtained in writing prior to project modifications taking place.
 

Final Approval

Final decisions on applications will be made by the Review Committee. A Final Letter will be provided to the applicant as a notification of a successful or unsuccessful determination. Funding will be disbursed once the project is completed and all required documentation has been provided and approved by the Review Committee.