Grants for Nebraska Livestock Producers and Small Business Owners Have Short Application Period

Nebraska’s Small Business Stabilization Grant program, which allocates $330 million to small Nebraska businesses including livestock producers, who have been impacted by COVID-19, has a first-come, first-served application process which is open only until July 1 at 5:00 p.m.

Eligibility forms and details about the grants can be found on the Center for Rural Affairs website, cfra.org., and at getnebraskagrowing.nebraska.gov.

The program allows small businesses and livestock producers to apply for grants if their businesses have been severely impacted by COVID -19.  A small business is defined as one with 5 to 49 employees as of March 13, 2020, and an eligible livestock producer is one with 1 to 10 employees as of that date.

A few industries are excluded from eligible small businesses—mining, utilities, finance and insurance, management companies, educational services, public administration and lobbyists and political organizations.

The grant program was announced by Governor Pete Rickets on June 12, but according to the Center for Rural Affairs, the application process was “paused” from June 16-22 in order to allow the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to validate applications and avoid delays.