Cobb County, in partnership with SelectCobb, a Cobb Chamber initiative devoted to fostering economic development in Cobb County, today awarded $7.5 million in small business relief grants to 409 Cobb County businesses. 

The grants, designed to help businesses mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19, ranged from $20,000 to $40,000. The funding was made possible through a portion of the County’s disbursement of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, an economic stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The local grants are designed to help area businesses pay for rent, utilities, personnel payments and personal protective equipment.

“We are incredibly thankful to Cobb County Government for their continued support of local small businesses, who have been working tirelessly to continue operations during COVID-19,” said Dana Johnson, COO of the Cobb Chamber and Executive Director of SelectCobb. “These grants speak to our collective commitment to providing residents with opportunities to grow and thrive while continuing to drive the County’s economic development and impact.” 

Approximately 56 percent of grant recipients are minority-owned businesses, while 53 percent are women-owned, and 8 percent are veterans. 

"On March 12th my personal chef business for 2020 was promising. On March 13th, two thirds of my business disappeared from my calendar. All of my culinary instruction classes and catering events began to be erased as clients were no longer entertaining and facilities began to close down,” said Chef Elizabeth Weaver, owner and chef for Elizabeth Edibles Personal Chef Services. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could qualify as a sole proprietor for this grant, but with great assistance from Select Cobb and research, I easily applied, and I will be able to regroup, market and keep cooking for Cobb County!”

Developed with input from various local leaders, SelectCobb provides a strategic blueprint for comprehensive community and economic development. Funded through investors, SelectCobb has made an incredible impact in the community. Previous successes include saving or securing more than 6,000 jobs and assisting in creating over $375 million in new investment in Cobb County. Future goals include bringing in 10,000 jobs and securing $1.5 billion in new private investment. 

“These grants are essential in providing some measure of hope and relief to the business community,” said Mike Boyce, chairman of the Cobb County Commission. “We thank the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and members of the selection committee led by Steve Ewing for their hard work in evaluating the applications. They all truly reflect what is best about the Cobb community.”

Cobb County Government and SelectCobb are extending their partnership to offer a second round of small business relief grants. Interested businesses can find more information, criteria and eligibility requirements at https://selectcobb.com/grants/. Applications are open until August 21 at 5 p.m.