What expenses can be used to calculate grant eligibility?
All costs must be reasonable and necessary, have a business purpose, be an incurred expense prior to filing the grant application (no future expenses can be claimed), and within the program period 3/1/2020-11/4/2020.
Costs incurred to meet public health requirements include:
- Signage to create social distancing measures
- Cleaning or disinfecting areas due to COVID-19
- Personal protective supplies for employees or customers
- Equipment necessary for public health or to respond to changes in business environment, including but not limited to:
- Equipment to screen employees or customers to ensure they are not positive for COVID-19
- Equipment to track employees or customers who have tested positive for COVID-19
- Technology expenses to facilitate teleworking
- Rent for additional facilities or storage to allow for social distancing
- Facility renovation costs to promote social distancing (partitions, shields, etc.)
- Temporary structures to promote social distancing
Business interruption costs
- Mortgage interest of a business
- Rent of existing business locations, equipment
- Lease costs of vehicles
- Employee Payroll, including employer payroll taxes, health and retirement benefits. For sole proprietors, and other persons whose compensation is derived from receiving a draw from the business, a deemed salary/wage will be allowed in an amount equal to the number of hours worked times the median hourly wage for all occupations in the State of Louisiana according to the most recent data published by the US. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Utilities
- Supplies
- Insurance
- Inventory that is unable to be sold (up to $1,000).
- Professional costs for filing Main street claims (not to exceed $500)
What expenses cannot be used to calculate grant eligibility?
Unless listed above, costs will be ineligible. However, for clarity, the following costs are specifically identified. This list is not all inclusive.
- Expenses associated with a personal residence, “home office expenses”.
- Lost Profits
- Meals and Entertainment costs
- Lobbying
- Donations, political or charitable
- Club membership dues
- Construction
- Legal settlements
- Damages that have been or will be covered by insurance
- Costs that have been or will be reimbursed by any other federal or state program
- Capital expenditures (more than $2,500) not COVID-19 related
- Vehicle Purchases
- Real Property purchases
- Mortgage principal payment
- Credit card payments that do not contain eligible expenses
- Other non-mortgage debt