Annapolis, Maryland – Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) CEO Ben Birge announced the Hotel Relief Grant (HRG) program aimed at helping hotels, inns and bed-and-breakfast establishments in Anne Arundel County. Five million dollars of funding from the State of Maryland supports the program that will begin to take applications on Friday, February 19.
“These funds have been a long time coming, and it is my hope that they will help our beloved local hospitality businesses survive this pandemic,” said County Executive Pittman. “Our team at Economic Development Corporation has demonstrated professionalism and passion throughout this pandemic, and their management of this program is another reason for us to express our gratitude.”
“This program will particularly benefit smaller locally owned operators in our county that have been severely impacted by the dramatic downturn in travel,” said Mr. Birge. “The hope is that these funds can help our hotels keep their doors open as the economy’s reopening continues and the public’s interest in travel grows to the level it was prior to the pandemic.”
Qualified businesses include hotels and motels with at least ten sleeping rooms and bed and breakfasts establishments with at least five sleeping rooms. Short-term residential rentals do not qualify. Applicants must affirm that their business experienced a pandemic related reduction in year-over-year gross revenue of at least 25 percent for the period of April to November of 2020 compared to the revenue level for the same period in 2019.
Businesses can use the grant for normal operating costs or other COVID-19 related costs. Normal operating costs include items such as rent, payroll, job training, taxes, debt service, or similar costs. COVID-19 related costs include the purchase of PPE, sanitization services, or other similar expenses. The grant cannot be used for the purchase of equipment and soft goods, infrastructure improvements and technology upgrades.
An applicant must be an Anne Arundel County hospitality business in good standing with the State of Maryland. A business also must submit:
- A copy of a valid occupancy license issued by the Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits
- A completed and signed W-9 form
Applicants also will be required to upload a voided company check to facilitate an ACH deposit of the grant amount to the business bank account. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 5.
To access the application, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and other information, visit the Hotel Relief Grant Program page on the AAEDC website. For additional information, inquiries can be sent to grants@aaedc.org.
