Luzerne County was awarded $3,595,181 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development that will be awarded as grants to help small businesses struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdowns.
The county must contract with a certified economic development organization or a community development financial institution, which in turn will disburse the funding through grants to eligible businesses, Luzerne County manager David Pedri said.
Eligible businesses are Luzerne County restaurants, bars and hotels, he said.
Pedri said information will be posted at luzernecounty.org when it starts and the application window will open no later than March 15.
In all, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced Friday that the Pennsylvania Treasury has made $145 million available to help small businesses in the hospitality industry as they struggle to recover from the effects of the pandemic.