Who is Eligible to Receive a Hospitality Grant?
This program offers one-time grants to eligible restaurants, hotels, motels and other qualifying businesses in Washington State that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency or its negative economic impacts. Of the available funding, a portion will be set aside specifically to reimburse lodging establishments that experienced losses during the state’s eviction moratorium pursuant to the governor’s proclamations.
Eligible Hospitality Businesses
Eligible businesses include:
- Restaurants
- Food stands, food trucks, food carts
- Caterers
- Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns
- Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Bakeries*
- Brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms*
- Breweries or microbreweries*
- Wineries and distilleries*
- Licensed facilities or premises of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products
- Inns, bed and breakfast (onsite sales of food and beverage to the public comprise at least 25% of gross receipts or sales or at least 5 private lodging rooms)
- Hotels and motels (except casino hotels)
- Bowling Centers (Based on funding availability)
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus (Based on funding availability)
*onsite sales to the public comprise at least 25% of gross receipts or sales
Funds Designated for Lodging Establishments
This portion of funding will award one-time grants specifically to reimburse lodging establishments that have experienced losses during the state’s eviction moratorium pursuant to the governor’s proclamations. Under this $15 million set-aside, “Lodging establishment” means a hotel, motel, or similar establishment taxable by the state under chapter 82.08 RCW that has 40 or more lodging units. Actual eligible losses include room charges not paid by persons who stayed during the moratorium, any legal expenses incurred by lodging establishments as a result of the moratorium, and any repair expenses directly attributed to damages to rooms.
Additional Eligibility Criteria
There are a few additional pieces of criteria eligible businesses will have to provide to qualify for the grant.
Must identify under a qualifying NAICS code.
Eligible codes include:
- Full Service Restaurants (722511)
- Limited Service Restaurants (722513)
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- Breweries (312120)
- Caterers (722320)
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110)
- Inns, Bed and Breakfast (721191)
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591) (Based on funding availability)
- Bowling Alleys (713950) (Based on funding availability)
Operational Requirements:
- Businesses must have a valid UBI and TIN (EIN/FEIN/ITIN/SSN). Tribal member-owned businesses without a UBI may provide alternative business validation such as a license or registration with a federally recognized tribal nation in Washington State.
- Businesses must have a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. You must have a valid UEI number issued through sam.gov to be eligible to receive grant funds. If you've not yet registered and are planning to apply for a grant, we recommend you start the process now. This helpful video will guide you through the steps of registering for your UEI in SAM: Get a Unique Entity ID
- Your business must have been in operation prior to April 2020 (with the same ownership) and must be currently operational.
- Your business must be independently owned and operated and cannot be a dominant organization in your field of operation.
Financial Requirements:
- Your business must have experienced a 25% or greater loss in gross receipts or sales between 2019 and 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health and safety measures.
- For businesses that started in 2019, 25% loss must be from any quarter in 2019 to the same quarter in 2020.
- For businesses that started in 2020, 25% loss must be from the 1st Quarter of 2020 to another quarter in 2020.
- Your business must have minimum gross receipts or sales of $12,000 in 2019 (or 2020 for businesses that opened in 2020).*
- Your business must generate at least 51% of revenue in Washington state (i.e., be an "in state" business).
- Your business must not have permanently closed or intend to permanently close in 2023.
- Your business must have expenses that are necessary to continue business operations (i.e. payroll, rent, etc.). Expenses can not be a federal, state, or local tax, fee, license, or other government revenue.
Businesses that are not eligible to apply include:
- Businesses not designated in the eligible NAICS codes
- Multinational corporations
- Corporate-owned chain businesses
- Franchisor of national chains (the grant program is only open to small businesses that are independently owned and operated)
- Businesses without a physical location in Washington state
- State or local government-operated businesses
- Publicly traded entities
- Businesses that have permanently closed or intend to permanently close in 2023
- Government entities or elected official offices
- Passive business, investment companies and investors who file a Schedule E on their personal tax returns
- Businesses of a prurient sexual nature (“adult” businesses)
- Speculative businesses
- Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities
- Businesses that restrict patronage for any reason other than capacity or age restrictions per regulations
- Businesses found to be in violation of any COVID-19-related order issued by the governor. This includes remaining open when ordered to close, or disregarding COVID-19 health or safety measures applicable to the business.
- Businesses found to have compliance or regulatory issues as of March 2020
- Businesses that are actively engaged in current/pending lawsuits
- Businesses disbarred by the federal government
- Businesses actively pursuing a bankruptcy declaration
Invite us to speak!
We attend events and meet communities and groups to share information about the program. Contact Outreach & Engagement Manager, Jennie Kovalcik.
