CARES Act Funding Phase III Available Beginning October 19

CARES Act Funding Phase III Available Beginning October 19

Governor Ron DeSantis, to stimulate the local economy, initially awarded $6.5 million in emergency 
relief funds to support the businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are available as 
part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal stimulus package.  
The County has already disbursed over $3.8 million of these funds to date. The Citrus County CARES 
Small Business Grant Program Phase III, approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on 
Tuesday, October 13, 2020, will provide recovery grants to eligible businesses adversely impacted 
by the COVID‐19 Pandemic.

The Citrus County CARES Small Business Grant Program Phase III electronic application link, 
www.citrusbocc.com/cares, goes live on Monday, October 19 at 8:00AM and the application period 
extends through Friday, November 6 at 5:00PM.

The program offers a grant to qualifying businesses to cover expenses such as employee wages, 
vendor bills and rent. The emergency relief is specifically targeted to help local businesses most 
impacted to cover immediate financial needs. Grants are strictly limited to businesses located 
physically within Citrus County, with a Business Tax Receipt (BTR) issued prior to 9/30/2020. 
Business must also demonstrate ongoing business operations as of February 29, 2020. The business is 
expected to be fully operational after local and state emergency guidelines are rolled back.

CARES Act Phase III eligibility:

To be eligible the business must be one of the following qualified categories, with a Business Tax 
Receipt (BTR) issued prior to 9/30/2020. Award amounts vary by category. Please check website for 
additional information at www.citrusbocc.com/cares .

A. Children, Elderly and Disabled Care Providers with Commercial Presence
B. Nursing Homes Licensed by the State.
C. State licensed non-emergency Medical Practices, dentist, physical therapists/occupational 
therapists, speech pathologists, audiologists and imaging centers with a commercial presence and 
less than 35 employees.
D. Boat Captains with a Commercial Real Estate Presence - excluding previously awarded
E. Boat Captains without a Commercial Real Estate Presence - excluding previously awarded
F. Entertainment - Musicians, Event Promoters, Photographers, Restaurant Suppliers, Bakers, Linen 
Services.
G. Court Reporters – excluding previously awarded
H. Auction Houses, Estate/Household Sales business
I. Home -based business – home repair/cleaning services
J. Additional funding to Phase I and Phase II awarded applicants (excluding Bars and Restaurants 
awarded additional funds as part of Phase I and II).

The on-line application will take approximately ten minutes and is simple to navigate. Please make 
application through the website beginning Monday, October 19, 2020 at www.citrusbocc.com/cares .  
If you need additional assistance, please contact the CARES support line at 352-527-5449.  Be 
patient when calling as we are anticipating high call volume the first week. If no one is available to 
answer your call, it will go to a dedicated voice mailbox.  The email address for additional 
information is cares@citrusbocc.com .

The CARES Act funding is a critical part of Citrus County’s commitment to keep our business 
community healthy and the local economy moving forward.