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Oʻahu Business Recovery Grants program to reopen for applications on May 15, 2023

HONOLULU -- The Oʻahu Business Recovery Grants (OBR) program will reopen on May 15, 2023, at 8 a.m. for applications from small businesses that have suffered pandemic hardship. $3.5 million in grants is available and eligibility has been expanded, allowing a broader range of small companies to qualify:

  • The minimum annual gross revenue has been lowered from $75,000 to $60,000.
  • An eligible business can prove a drop in net income of 25% in 2020 or 2021, compared to 2019. In the first round, businesses had to show a 25% decline in net income in both 2020 and 2021.

"Helping small businesses get back on their feet is vital to a strong post-COVID economy," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "I encourage Oʻahu companies that suffered financially from the pandemic to see if they are eligible and if so, take advantage of this great opportunity."

The program will accept applications through revitalizeoahu.org/oahubizgrant. Grants will range from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on a business's annual gross revenue.

To help businesses get ready to apply, the Office of Economic Revitalization and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii are holding a webinar on Thursday, May 4, at 2 p.m. on OER's Facebook page: facebook.com/oer.honolulu. No Facebook account is needed to watch and the webinar will be available on the Facebook page for businesses that cannot attend the live event.

To provide broad access to grants:

  • Businesses can get no cost advice on applying from the Hawaiʻi-Small Business Development Center at hisbdc.org.
  • Translated applications will be available on the website in Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Spanish.
  • The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii is partnering with local ethnic Chambers to ensure business owners with English as a second language understand how to apply and have enough time to apply.

Completed applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis until grant funds are exhausted. No application is guaranteed funding. The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii is administering the program.

About $6.5 million in OBR grants will be awarded to 330 eligible small businesses that applied in the first round. All applications from round one have been processed and grants are being awarded. Businesses that applied in the first round can check on the status of their application in the Submittable account they created when applying.

For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii at OahuBizGrant@cochawaii.org.

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