Small Businesses Along Purple Line Construction Route Encouraged to Apply for Phase III Purple Line Construction Impact Grants

Montgomery County will be offering funding support for independently owned and operated businesses with 20 or fewer employees impacted by the Purple Line construction through Phase III of its Purple Line Light rail grants program. Eligible businesses can start submitting applications on Aug. 15.

The County’s Business Center will host informational webinars on the program on Aug. 29, 30 and 31 in English, Spanish, and Amharic languages respectively at 8070 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. This is the third round of grants through which the County’s Business Center will offer $5,000 to qualifying small businesses in the construction corridor. This grant program is made possible through an $815,000 grant provided by the Maryland Department of Commerce.

“Our small businesses in the Purple Line Light Rail construction corridor have been hit hard due to the ongoing project,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “We have worked very closely with them to mitigate the challenges they are facing through support such as these grants. Our new Business Center staff will be proactively reaching out and making sure every eligible business in this corridor is aware of this grant opportunity. I appreciate the work of our Business Center as well as the efforts of the Moore Administration and County’s State Delegation to advocate for these businesses and provide this grant funding.”

Applications for Phase III grants will be accepted through Sept. 30. The application is available at http://Montgomerycountymd.gov/business.

A business may be eligible for grants through the program if it:

• Is registered and in good standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessment & Taxation (SDAT).
• Has suffered revenue loss due to the construction of the Purple Line Light Rail project.
• Has a physical location adjacent to the construction of the Purple Line Light Rail project.
• Has 20 or fewer employees.
• Is independently owned and operated.
• Did not receive a prior Purple Line grant during Phase I or Phase II of the grant program.
• Is not a subsidiary of another business.
• Is not dominant in its field of operations.

Applicants will be required to submit the following documents with their application:

• A government-issued ID (e.g., Driver’s license or passport) of the business owner.
• A completed business W-9. If you do not have a W-9 form, there will be a link to download the template on the application portal.
• Proof of good standing from Maryland Business Express, which you can check at https://egov.Maryland.gov/BusinessExpress/EntitySearch/Search.
• The business must register in the County’s Central Vendor Registration System at www.mcipcc.net.

Businesses are encouraged to apply, even if they do not have all this information readily available. The County’s Business Center staff will assist all businesses throughout the process to ensure every eligible business receives this support.

The Maryland Department of Commerce is providing the funds to help businesses that have been impacted by the longer than anticipated construction process.

“Maryland Commerce is pleased to work with our partners in Montgomery County to offer these grants, which will provide some relief to the many small businesses in the County impacted by the Purple Line construction,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin A. Anderson. “Small businesses are the foundation of Maryland’s economy, and we want to ensure they have the support they need, particularly as they address these challenges.”

Questions about the program should be sent to Derese.Bikila@montgomerycountymd.gov or BusinessCenter@montgomerycountymd.gov.