Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in the Flood Local Business Recovery Fund. The September 2024 500-year flood in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia has had a devastating impact to our region’s small businesses. Federal and State support is valued, but alone is not enough to protect jobs, preserve businesses or sense of community. Your chamber of commerce, industries, supportive local businesses and regional media are united in the rescue by raising funds for immediate grants to small businesses.

It is our desire to provide support to small businesses and sole proprietorships in the arts/entertainment/ recreation, accommodation and food services, retail trade, and manufacturing sectors. You are eligible to apply for funding from the Flood Local Business Recovery Fund if you are an existing business whose operations have been severly impacted by the September 2024 flood. We serve the counties of Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington Counties in TN and Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wise Counties along with the independent cities of Bristol and Norton in Virginia.

Grants will not be made for capital funding projects (construction of buildings or remodeling projects) or for the purchase of vehicles.

The Flood Local Business Recovery Fund alllocations committee will consider one grant request per federal Tax ID number. If your business has more than one organization functioning under the same Tax ID number, we ask that you select one organization to apply for funding.

The application must be submitted at www.RegionAHEAD.com. You may reproduce this document as long as all questions are answered in the order originally presented. Please supply all requested information and attachments.

The Flood Local Business Recovery Fund allocations committee will meet bi-weekly starting in October 2024 to make decisions on awarding grants. You will be notified via email if additional information is needed and whether or not your business will receive funding. Grants will be distributed via check once the award amount is accepted by the company.

If you have any questions regarding the content of the proposal please email RegionAHEAD@gmail.com

Application Checklist

  • If not sumbmitting online, provide Original Signed Copy of the grant application

  • A Copy of your TN or VA Business license

  • Your Organization’s Financials

  • If applicable, a Copy of Your Organization’s Board of Directors

  • Organizational Budget page must be completed

  • Strongly Encourage you to Submit a 90-180 second video explaining the nature of their business and the urgency of the need

You may download and complete this application as a PDF. If filling it out by hand you must answer the questions in the order they were originally presented. Please try to stay true to the amount of space that was originally provided. Do not include unsolicited information.

If applications are not completed online, they must be mailed to
Region AHEAD Flood Recovery
FTDD: First Tennessee Development District
3211 N. Roan Street
Johnson City, TN 37601

(We suggest you keep a copy of everything you send to us.)

Grant Eligibility

Organization must be an established business for a minimum of one year and have no more than 50 employees
 
Applicants must be located in the counties of Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington Counties in TN and Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wise Counties along with the independent cities of Bristol and Norton in Virginia
 
Ineligible categories for funding:
• Individuals
• Sponsorship for conferences, events, golf tournaments
• Construction for buildings or remolding projects
• Capital funding campaigns
 
Due to the large volume of requests, the Flood Local Business Recovery Fund is unable to grant every proposal.  Applicants should understand that rejection of a proposal in no way suggests rejection of the organization.
 
You can download this application or apply now below. You can also receive a grant application from member organizations of Region AHEAD, economic development or chamber organizations. Grant applications must be completed in their entirety, with requested documentation, to be accepted. Once completed, applications can be uploaded at RegionAhead.com or mailed to the address in this application. Grant application reviews will be considered in the order of their receipt and review of required information in your document.  
 
The Flood Local Business Recovery Fund allocations committee may arrange a call with businesses to conduct further investigation after a grant application has been completed.

Apply Now