The Chamber Updates
Every Friday, we have been going LIVE on our Facebook Page each Friday at 10am to give chamber news and updates as well as highlight some of our members who are doing “good” in the community during this health crisis.
If you have company news on how you are helping your employees or community, please send to nw@northwestchambermd.com
Unemployment Update
Self-Employed, 1099 Contractors and “Gig” Workers Can Now Apply
The Maryland Department of Labor has launched a new unemployment insurance application called the Beacon One-Stop. This new application will allow all Marylander’s to file all types of claims entirely online! This includes those who are eligible for regular benefits, CARES Act benefits, and individuals who were previously required to file by phone.
To learn how services have been improved and expanded, visit the BEACON One-Stop Overview page (Link Below):
(The login issue has gotten much better in the last week)
Webinar to Help Workers Displaced by COVD-19 – May 5th
As part of County Executive Johnny Olszewski’s efforts to support people who have lost their jobs in this pandemic, the County is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, May 5th for individuals who are unemployed or whose income is at risk. Expert panelists will provide timely information and give an overview on how to access support resources and employment opportunities in this second session of the webinar series, “Baltimore County Business Forum – COVID-19 and Beyond.”
The webinar will be presented live via Cisco WebEx on Tuesday, May 5 at 1 p.m., and webinar access information will be available on the County website at baltimorecountybusiness.com. Recorded video of the completed webinar will be posted there as well. People are invited to submit questions during the webinar using the live WebEx questions feature, or in advance by sending an email tobusinesshelp@baltimorecountymd.gov.
You may submit questions during the webinar, or in advance by sending an email tobusinesshelp@baltimorecountymd.gov
Important News From Baltimore County
Olszewski Commits More Than $10 Million in Grants to Protect Jobs, Small Businesses and Artists
To support Baltimore County’s small businesses, Olszewski announced the County has allocated $10 million in new grant funding for the Baltimore County COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grants Program.
The Department of Economic and Workforce Development (DEWD) will administer the Baltimore County COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grants Program, which will award grants of up to $15,000 each to more than 650 Baltimore County-based small businesses on a first-come, first-served basis.
The County has set a goal to award at least 25 percent of grant funding to women and minority-owned businesses.
Grant applications will be posted on the DEWD website and will be accepted beginning May 11, 2020. To qualify for this grant program, small businesses must retain at least half of the workforce they had prior to January 31, 2020, which must have included at least two non-owner employees prior to Maryland’s Stay-at-Home Order. They must also:
- have at least two employees who are not owners or part-owners,
- have no more than 25 employees per Baltimore County establishment,
- demonstrate that they have lost at least 40 percent of their revenues since the Stay-at-Home Order began,
- have been in operation for at least one year as of January 1, 2020, and commenced operations by December 31, 2018 or earlier, and
- certify that they have not received other forms of federal or state COVID-19 assistance or relief at the time of application, and
- be in good standing and not in default with the State of Maryland and Baltimore County.
Grant funds may only be used for payroll, operating expenses, business lease or rent, and inventory acquisition vital to the business, with at least 30 percent of the funds used to support payroll for non-owners.
