NEOEDD’s COVID-19-related Financial Assistance

NEOEDD is managing a number of state and federal grant and loan monies:

Option 1–NE Oregon Business Fund 

NEOEDD, with funding from Business Oregon, is offering grants for small businesses and nonprofit organizations that experienced revenue reduction due to COVID-19 restrictions, and which were unable to access the SBA EIDL or PPP programs. Businesses that were closed via state mandate automatically qualify (list of qualifying businesses below); others may qualify by demonstrating a 50% COVID-related income loss. The income loss must have occurred in March or April 2020 compared to either January or February 2020 or March or April 2019. 

La empresa debe adjuntar verificación de que se ha afectado de manera adversa de alguna de las siguientes dos maneras: 

• Empresas comerciales que puedan demostrar un mes de reducción en sus ventas mayor al 50% en los meses de marzo o abril, en comparación con las ventas de los meses de enero o febrero de 2020,  o en comparación con el mismo periodo de tiempo en 2019. 
• Empresas no lucrativas—limitado a corporaciones 501(c)(3)— que puedan demostrar una reducción en su ingreso mayor al 50% durante el periodo de marzo y abril de 2020, en comparación con el mismo periodo de tiempo en 2019. 

Verificación: Copia de ganancias y pérdidas, estado de resultados o informes de ventas que demuestren el 50% o más de ventas disminuyeron como se detalla en la solicitud. 

Application is available in English and in Spanish (and other languages upon request); please read the qualifications carefully. Clicking on these links will bring you to a PDF to download.

If you are operating a sole proprietorship, please remit a copy of your Schedule C tax return with your application. If you have questions about completing the application, or need a printed copy of the application, please contact NEOEDD staff at 541-426-3598 or at the email addresses on the About NEOEDD page. 

PLEASE NOTE: The application that was provided by Business Oregon is a PDF, not an online form. It may not save your answers. We recommend testing it first. If it doesn’t save the form after you fill it out, try printing and then scanning and emailing the completed form. Or, print it out blank, write in answers, and scan and email, or mail. To submit an application, email as follows: 

• Wallowa County applicants use WallowaGrants @ neoedd.org (remove spaces) 
• Union County applicants use UnionGrants @ neoedd.org (remove spaces) 
• Baker County applicants use BakerGrants @ neoedd.org (remove spaces) 

NEOEDD will distribute grants of at least $2,500 to business owners and qualified nonprofit organizations on a rolling basis until approximately Aug. 28. 

FAQ: What businesses were prohibited from operation as directed by Executive Order 20-12? 

Businesses that were prohibited from operation are those whose primary revenue source is from amusement parks; aquariums; arcades; art galleries (to the extent that they are open without appointment); barber shops and hair salons; bowling alleys; cosmetic stores; dance studios; esthetician practices; fraternal organization facilities; furniture stores; gyms and fitness studios (including climbing gyms); hookah bars; indoor and outdoor malls (i.e., all portions of a retail complex containing stores and restaurants in a single area); indoor party places (including jumping gyms and laser tag); jewelry shops and boutiques (unless they provide goods exclusively through pick-up or delivery service); medical spas, facial spas, day spas, and non-medical massage therapy services; museums; nail and tanning salons; non-tribal card rooms; skating rinks; senior activity centers; ski resorts; social and private clubs; tattoo/piercing parlors; tennis clubs; theaters; yoga studios; and youth clubs. 

This Program was funded in part with State of Oregon General Funds and Lottery Funds administered by the Oregon Business Development Department. 

Option 2–Small Business and Microenterprise Grant Program 

This grant program is available for businesses affected by COVID-19 that have been operating for at least one year and that are owned by or employ people with low-to-moderate incomes. Business owners need to provide information on how they are responding to the pandemic and their plans to remain in business for the foreseeable future.

All of the following are eligible to apply: 

• Self-employed individual with low-to-moderate income 
• Business with five or fewer employees  with a business owner who has low-to-moderate income (microenterprise)  
• Business (including nonprofit) employing one or more employees who have low-to-moderate incomes   

FAQ: What is a low-to-moderate income?

The following table shows the maximum amount of income a household can have in order to qualify for this grant funding: 

Access the application for this grant here.

Grants for microenterprises and self-employed individuals are expected to be a minimum of $2,500 and up to $10,000. Businesses employing workers with low-to-moderate incomes can receive $2,500 per qualifying employee.  

In order to demonstrate past operations, COVID-19 impacts, and low-to-moderate income qualifications, businesses will be screened based on their initial application. Additional documentation will be required as a second step for those who are likely to receive funding. 

Option 3–NEOEDD/NOBD Revolving Loan Funds  

NEOEDD and its partner organization, Northeast Oregon Business Development, always have available “gap” loans for people who have found bank funding but it is insufficient for a project or purchase (click here for information). From now until May 2021, NEOEDD also offers loan of up to $250,000 ​to finance businesses that will help the economy recover from the pandemic. These loans can be used by businesses that have identified opportunities to grow, find new markets, or become more stable following pandemic impacts.

These loans have special, favorable terms: 

• 0% interest 
• Deferred payments likely 
• No other lender needed 
• No loan fees
• $100 application fee 
• No job creation requirement 
• Can be used to refinance short-term debt (credit card) 

To apply for one of these loans, download the application form as a PDF here and Word doc here. If you have questions, contact loan officer Mike Ogan at mikeogan @ neoedd.org (no spaces) or 541-519-7699. 

Option 4–Wallowa County Business Fund 

NEOEDD and local partners the Wallowa County commissioners, Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce, Wallowa County chapters of Soroptimist International and Rotary International, and Wallowa Resources have grants available for local businesses that have been financially harmed by the COVID-19 crisis. The application form is online here, or a paper copy is available at the Wallowa County Courthouse on the bulletin board.   

Option 5–Share with a friend or refer a business

Please share these resources with friends who own businesses in our region (Baker, Union, or Wallowa counties), or use this form to “nominate” them. NEOEDD staff want to make sure that funding opportunities are shared with sole proprietors and minority, veteran, women, and other underserved small business owners.