The Hartford Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant program is now open for applications from all small and micro businesses in need of assistance.  A copy of the description and the application form is enclosed in the link below:

Hartford Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Description – FINAL

Hartford Small Business Grant Application Revised ER April 20, 2020 ECJ Final

For quick access, a copy of the HEDCO guide to assist in the application process  for the COVID -19 Business Response Program Line of Credit is located in the link on the right-hand side-bar of this page or by clicking on this HEDCO Application link.

Small businesses across Connecticut are facing tough times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the state and federal government work to lend support to affected small businesses, we must not neglect businesses that have had difficulty in receiving financial assistance due to systemic challenges.

Violette Haldane collaborated with Governor Lamont, the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD), the Connecticut Minority Business Initiative, and the Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO) on the Connecticut Business Response Program. This program allows minority-owned and women-owned small businesses to apply for a zero-interest line of credit up to $20,000.

To Be Eligible the Small Business Must:

• Have No More Than 20 Full-Time and/or Part-Time Employees
• Required to be At Least 51% of Minority and/or Women-Ownership
• Operating for At Least 6 Months
• In Good Standing with the Department of Revenue Services

COVID-19 Business Response Program Webpage: Click Here

For more information and questions, you can contact HEDCO at COVID-19@hedcoinc.com or (860) 527-1301 x18.

Kimberli Owens has provided the following update:

Schedule: Week of April 6, 2020*

Normal Work Hours: 7:00am – 5:00pm, Monday-Friday

• Tree planting will begin this week along Albany Avenue between Homestead Avenue and Bedford Street.

• Drainage work will occur throughout the project limits.

• Traffic signal installation continues on Albany Avenue at the intersections of Irving Street and Sigourney Street. Traffic signal installation will begin on the southeast corner of Magnolia Street and Albany Avenue.

• Installation of conduit and light pole foundations will occur on the north side of Albany Avenue between Garden Street and Irving Street.

Schedule: Week of April 13, 2020*

Normal Work Hours: 7:00am – 5:00pm, Monday-Friday

• Tree planting continues east on Albany Avenue.

• Concrete sidewalk and driveway ramp installation will occur on the north side of Albany Avenue between Garden Street and Irving Street. Pedestrian and business access will be maintained.

• Drainage work continues throughout the project limits.

• Granite curb installation is scheduled to resume on the north side of Albany Avenue between Garden Street and Irving Street.

• Traffic signal installation continues east of Sigourney Street.

*weather permitting

All travel lanes on Albany will remain open before 9am and after 3pm; during other hours, partial lane closures may occur. Traffic will be maintained in both directions on Homestead and Westbourne. Hartford Police will assist motorists and pedestrians.

The project field office, located at 1229 Albany Avenue, is open Monday-Friday from 7:00am to 3:30pm. If you have any questions about the project, please stop in and see us. If you have project-related business or pedestrian access concerns, please contact Kimberli Owens at (860)263-8533.

Visit our website at http://www.albanyavenuehartfordproject.com

For our latest project photos check out http://www.albanyavenuehartfordproject.com/home/photos/

Questions or concerns? Contact kimberli.owens@ct.gov.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020, and allocates $350 billion to help small businesses keep workers employed amid the pandemic and economic downturn.  More information is available in the online Guide located via the  CT Business Resource Center .  This document also includes Q&A Guides for initiatives such as the Small Business Debt Relief program; the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); and Counseling and Training by resource partners.

On April 6, 2020, the City of Hartford launched a website at https://coronavirus.hartford.gov/ that is devoted to its coronavirus response.  The website also has answers to frequently asked questions, directions on what residents should do if they feel sick, and referrals to resources for students, families, and businesses.

Residents should use the dedicated coronavirus section on the Hartford 311 app to  report any immediate  instance of social-distancing violation such as social or recreational gatherings, non-essential businesses that continue to operate, essential businesses that are not enforcing social distancing, or general coronavirus-related concerns.

Your continued support in this endeavor will make a positive difference during this time of major concern.

Sales and Use Tax

What small business taxpayers qualify for this relief? (added 3/30/2020)

Taxpayers that have $150,000 or less in annual Sales Tax liability qualify for an automatic extension of time to file and pay. Similarly, taxpayers that have $150,000 or less in annual Room Occupancy Tax also qualify for this relief. A taxpayer that collects both Sales Tax and Room Occupancy Tax must evaluate each tax separately to determine eligibility for relief.

How does a taxpayer determine if it is a qualified small business? (added 3/30/2020)

Taxpayers are required to utilize a calendar year look back period of January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019. Any taxpayer that reported $150,000 or less in tax during that period qualifies for the relief.
What returns are covered by this extension? (added 3/30/2020)

For quarterly Sales Tax and Room Occupancy Tax filers: returns and payments due April 30, 2020, are extended to May, 31, 2020.

The SBA is offering  disaster assistance in the form of forgivable loans through their Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) that authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during this COVID-19 crisis.

Starting April 3, 2020, small business owners and sole proprietors may apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other specific expenses through existing SBA lenders.

Starting April 10, 2020, independent contractors and self-employed individuals may apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders.

Further details may be viewed on the Metro Hartford Alliance website and a Q&A fact sheet regarding this program is located at https://www.metrohartford.com/wp-content/uploads/PPP-Fact-Sheet.pdf