Governor's Office of Economic Development Q&A With SDRA

SDRA received questions from members who were turned down for the state's Small Business Grant Program, or who thought they should have received a higher amount. The state received more than 8,500 applications and thus far has paid out more than $243 million in grants to businesses. About 1,400 applications are still in the "review" phase. Here's what we've learned from The Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED):

Q: Is there an appeal process for businesses that were turned down for the state small business grant program received less than expected?

A: GOED encourages applicants to review these links:

• Small business and Nonprofit Grant Award Explanation
• Small Business Startup Grant Award Explanation

After reviewing the explanations, if you believe you should have received a different amount than awarded and wish to file an appeal or complaint, send an email to covid.bizgrants@state.sd.us outlining why you're appealing the award. GOED's contractor will review your documentation and if appropriate, refer the application to the state with a recommendation to change the award. However, GOED advises that if the applicant was ineligible, the grant amount fell within the established guidelines, and no errors were made during the review process, it's unlikely that the final award will be changed. 

Q: I believed the decision on my Small Business Grant Application was based on outdated or incorrect information. Can I provide corrected, updated, or supplemental information?

A: As part of the application, a business certifies that the application and all supplemental information is true and correct, so if an award determination has been made and a business is unhappy with the results but the award amount was accurately determined based on the information that was submitted in the application, it is unlikely to be changed.

GOED says if an applicant received an email that indicated that they did not qualify for funding, the applicant was allowed to review the application and request that it be returned to them to correct things such as typographical errors, etc. For example, GOED explains, a few businesses had inadvertently added an extra "zero" to their PPP award, which initially caused their award to be completely eliminated. 

Q: If a business was approved for a grant but was unable to afford to keep going and permanently closed before the funding actually arrived, can they use the grant funds to pay bills incurred while they were open, or does the money have to be returned to the state?

A: GOED points out that applicants were required to certify that their business is a going concern and, among other things, that the beneficiary has no substantial doubt as to the business's ability to continue as a going concern. Recipients will need to review the definitions in the certification to determine whether they have met all the criteria.

View more from SDRA here.