Two New Funds Offer $114 Million for More Wyoming COVID-19 Relief

Governor Mark Gordon will soon open two new funds for Wyoming businesses and nonprofits to receive more funding to cover money lost to the pandemic.

The governor will open the Agriculture Fund and the Endurance Fund on Nov. 2. These two new funds will receive part of the $325 million dollars of federal money made available to Wyoming through the 2020 CARES Act.

“The effects of COVID-19 haven’t disappeared from our communities and businesses,” Governor Gordon said. “There are impacts still being felt by business owners, nonprofit organizations, and agriculture producers. Right from the start, we worked with the Legislature to pace our programs so that they would reach each sector as the needs became clear. The Business Council will distribute these federal funds where they’re needed to help continue our economic recovery.”

$90 million dollars is available to Wyoming’s farmers and ranchers thru the Agriculture Fund. Those agricultural workers can receive awards of up to $250,000 each to cover COVID-19 losses or interruptions to their business. All businesses seeking money thru this fund need to have been established on or before March 13 of this year.

$24 million dollars is available thru the Endurance Fund, open to all businesses and nonprofits to cover COVID-19 expenses, although that overall amount could increase as more CARES Act funding is pooled into the fund. Each entity can apply for and receive a maximum of $250,000.

For non-profits to successfully apply for the Endurance Fund, they must have spent less than 50% of their time spent on lobbying.

Recipients of previous Business Relief Program awards thru Wyoming – such as Interruption, Relief, and Mitigation funds — may apply for the two new funds if they can prove eligible losses or expenses since their previous application dates.

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend one of a series of webinars being hosted by the Wyoming Business Council, on Oct. 28, 29 and 30, and Nov. 2. Details on the new funds and webinar registration links are available at wyobizrelief.org.

For more information about the Business Relief Program, please contact Strategic Partnerships Director Ron Gullberg at 307-286-9519 or ron.gullberg@wyo.gov.