Arizona

Eligible Applicants:

• Small businesses with currently 5 – 25 employees.
• Owned and operated in the state of Arizona: including franchises with corporate headquarters in other states, but with locally-owned franchised establishments.
• Incorporated before January 1, 2020.
• Must be renting or leasing a physical location; may not be working from home or remotely as an independent contractor.
• Must be open to the general public and in good standing with the Arizona Department of Revenue and Arizona Corporation Commission.
• Employees that receive an incentive that is funded by this program may not include the business-owner.
• At least 75% of the awarded funds must go to current or new employees in the form of incentives. There is a cap of $1,000 incentive for each employee. Up to 25% of the awarded funds can go to other business expenditures such as mortgage/rent, utilities, etc.
• Applicants may receive 1 award, up to $10,000 for eligible expenditures. The $10,000 of expenditures may be used at multiple locations. Applicants should submit one application -- regardless of the number of locations at which the funds will be applied.
• Individual applicants that own multiple separate business entities may not apply for multiple awards in excess of $10,000 per individual owner.

Special considerations for small businesses impacted by wildfire or natural disaster flooding

• Employee cap is increased from 25 to 50.
• Up to 100% of the awarded funding can be utilized for non-personnel expenditures i.e., operating expenses.

• Eligible expenditures include: employee hiring/signing incentives, employee retention incentives, relocation incentives, and other operating expenses which cannot exceed 25% of the total award.
• Eligible expenditures must occur on or after August 11, 2021.
• Incentives must be distributed to new or existing employees within three months of the award as well as the other operating expenses if applied to that purpose. 
• This award is 1099 reportable. The Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) - General Accounting Office (GAO) will mail you that document at the appropriate time. 

For questions related to the grant program, please contact a member of the OSPB Grants and Federal Resources (GFR) Team for assistance at: sbrw@az.gov.

Application User Guide: Please download this user guide to assist you in the application process. 

W-9 Form: Please download this document and upload it to your online application. If awarded, this form is required to receive payment from this benefit program. If it is not attached to your application and fully completed as stated in the instructions on page 2 of that document when submitted, your submission will be considered incomplete and not awarded.