PRESS RELEASE
October 16, 2020
CONTACT INFO. :
Office of the Mayor
Patricia Resende
(401) 529-3207
City of East Providence awarded $75,000 “Take it Outside” Grant
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – The City of East Providence has been selected by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation as a “Take it Outside” grant awardee.
The funds will enable the City to dole out up to $5,000 in grant funding to East Providence businesses who are working to take their business services outside during the pandemic.
The businesses may apply for eligible equipment and supplies including patio heaters, outdoor lighting, tables, chairs and more that will be used to support outdoor activities beginning fall 2020.
In response to the impact on small businesses, Mayor Bob DaSilva, together with Planning & Economic Development Director William Fazioli, Chief Planner Jim Moran applied for the funds through a competitive process of more than 80 applications seeking more than $5.7 million in grant funding. East Providence businesses will need to apply for the grant here:
https://www.eastprovidencebusiness.com/incentives/pages/city-east-provid...
“We are grateful to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for granting us this award,” Mayor DaSilva said. “These funds will assist our East Providence businesses in providing services and products to our residents and city visitors during this unprecedented time.”
City of East Providence “Take It Outside”
Business Assistance Grant Program
This form and its accompanying application is for the use of eligible East Providence businesses in applying for grant funding to create or expand upon outdoor services associated with a variety of business service activities within the City including dining services, and other business service-related activities that have been traditionally provided in an indoor setting, but currently must be accommodated in an outdoor setting due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Eligible businesses may apply for eligible equipment and supplies that will be used to support outdoor activities starting in fall of 2020. This grant program is sponsored by the City of East Providence and is funded through a direct grant from the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation’s “Take It Outside Initiative.”
The maximum reimbursable amount allowed per request is $5,000. Examples of items that are eligible for grant funding include: patio heaters/heat lamps, outdoor lighting, chairs, tables, tents or umbrellas, trash receptacles, hand sanitizer and protective masks.
Other items not listed in this application packet may be requested, but the final decision of funding these items will be at the discretion of the City.
Please note that appropriate permits from the City of East Providence may be required if there are initiatives to create a new outdoor seating areas or other activities that may be subject to the review and approval by the City as a means of protecting public safety. These approvals may include permits issued by the City Fire Marshal and any additional permits that need to be issued by the City’s Building Inspection Division. The City will coordinate with approved applicants to ensure that they are aware of all the approvals that will be needed for their requested supplies.
Establishments must meet the following criteria to be eligible for funding:
Must be a business located within the City of East Providence.
Must have a location that can safely accommodate the described layout subject to the approval of the City.
Must plan to utilize the requested supplies starting in fall 2020.
Submittal Requirements:
Applicants must complete the attached Application Form below including the Budget Sheet, must submit a W-9 form, along with photos and/or diagrams of the current area without improvements and a diagram of the proposed outdoor arrangement. Once installed the City Building Official and Fire Marshall will certify the installation for overall safety and compliance with appropriate City regulations.
The City reserves the right to deny or reduce the amount approved for any line item in the budget.
Applicants are welcome to submit additional attachments including letters of support, etc.
All establishments that receive grant funding approval through this program are required to complete a “Project Evaluation Form” prior to December 31st, 2020. The City will contact each establishment that receives funding in late November with the link to the evaluation form and instructions on filling the evaluation form out.
The City reserves the right to contact applicants and suppliers for clarification or additional information on their application. The City reserves the right to partially fund requests. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but the City encourages applicants to return applications as soon as possible in order to be considered for funding. Funding for this program is limited.
Based on the City’s agreement with the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, business applicants are eligible for reimbursement of eligible expenses as described within this application packet and further described as follows:
The Grantee (City of East Providence) may utilize the Grant to provide eligible East Providence businesses with a cash reimbursement for the purchase of items listed on the approved Grant Agreement Budget of eligible materials. The City may provide a cash reimbursement to East Providence businesses so long as: (a) The business is a restaurant, bar, outdoor entertainment venue, or other business as approved in writing by the City in its sole discretion; (b) The business has submitted to the City reasonably sufficient evidence of purchase of the item(s) for which the business seeks reimbursement, including, but not limited to, a receipt, an invoice, a bank statement showing the purchase, or a bill of sale; and (c) The business complete the Attestation in the form set forth as Exhibit A (as attached to this application).
City of East Providence “Take It Outside” Business Assistance Application Form
What is the name of your business establishment? _______________________________________
What is the name of the business establishment’s owner(s)?________________________________
What is the business establishment’s address? __________________________________________
What is the best email to contact you at? _______________________________________________
What is the best phone number to contact you at? _______________________________________
Is this application to assist with the creation of a new outdoor area or to improve upon an existing one? ____________________________________________________________________________
How many additional weeks of do you believe your establishment will benefit from if you are approved for funding? _____________________________________________________________
Briefly explain how your proposed outdoor accommodations will be configured and how the requested items will assist your business (Include diagrams and photos to assist in explaining).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please fill out the project budget form provided on the page following this application and sign the attached attestation form (Attachment A).
The undersigned hereby agrees that if their establishment is selected for funding, they will adhere to the stated guidelines including but not limited to submitting before and after photos and completing the City’s project follow-up evaluation form prior to December 31st.
The undersigned affirms that the information stated in this application is accurate.
_______________________________
Owner’s Name – Printed
_________________________________ _________________________________
Owner’s Signature Date
The grant award cap is $5,000 per business
ATTACHMENT A
ATTESTATION FOR REIMBURSEMENT
I (Name}___________________________, am the {Title} _________________________ of (Company Name} ________________________________ (“Company”).
I hereby confirm, acknowledge, and represent the following:
A. The Company has purchased and incurred the costs of the following items: [List items
Purchased under the Budget portion of the application].
B. Attached hereto as Exhibit 1 is proof of purchase for all of the items as referenced in Item A of this Attestation.
C. The total cost incurred by the Company in purchasing the items listed in paragraph A
is $_________________[Insert total] (“Purchase Price”).
D. No portion of the Purchase Price was paid with funds obtained from any other source
other than those funds derived from the Company’s normal business operations.
E. That the Company has not received any reimbursement for any portion of the Purchase
Price from any other source.
F. That the Company is duly registered to conduct business in the State of Rhode Island
with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
G. That the Company is in good standing with the Rhode Island Division of Taxation and the City of East Providence and has no outstanding tax obligations owed to the State of Rhode Island or the City of East Providence.
Name and Title (Printed): _________________________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________________________
Subscribed and sworn before me this ______ day of _______________, 2020.
_____________________________________
Notary Public:
My commission expires: ________________
