Resources on this page:

• Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Fund
• The latest on reopening guidance and information from Buncombe County Environmental Health
• Dogwood Health Trust Small Business Grants
• Always Asheville Business Grant Program from Explore Asheville
• US Chamber Small Business Grants
• SBA Disaster Assistance
• Mountain BizWorks WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund
• Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund
• Mountain Strong Business Grant Program from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
• Tax Relief for Businesses

For more resources including regional information, please visit wncstrongtogether.org.

Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Fund

The Asheville-Buncombe Rebuilding Together Grant Fund provides up to $25,000 in grants to small businesses in Asheville and Buncombe County severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Grants cover recovery costs not covered by insurance or other funds, with reimbursements for documented expenses or advances for urgent needs. Eligible expenses include cleanup, inventory replacement, temporary water solutions, and payroll.

Funded by $1.3 million in donations from the City of Asheville, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Mountain BizWorks, and others, the Fund aims to restore the region’s unique businesses and retain local talent. Businesses with up to 200 employees may apply, with priority for the most impacted and those without other funding access.

See full list of acceptable use of funds here (includes installation of potable water systems, repair and replacement of inventory, materials, fixtures, employee retention and hiring)

More info and application (deadline Nov. 27) here. 

Buncombe County Environmental Health Info for Reopening

Below is a recording of the meeting AIR hosted with Buncombe County Environmental Health Supervisor, Felissa Vazquez, and Assistant City Manager, Ben Woody, and City of Asheville Water Resources Public Information Officer Clay Chandler on Tuesday, October 22.

Buncombe County Environmental Health continues to update and streamline requirements for restaurants to reopen.

There is now an expedited process for reopening your food service establishment. Please complete the Emergency Operations Plan for Food Service Establishments. The facility can reopen after submission if the owner/manager attests that all answers in the form are answered “Yes.” Any “No” responses will need to be reviewed by Buncombe County Environmental Health. Please see additional guidance on specific questions below.

• If sewage is not backing up into the establishment and sewage/wastewater system is properly working then answer “yes” to the question regarding sewage.
• If ice is not being served, answer yes to the question regarding ice.
• If you check yes to the question discussing single service, that means you intend to use single service for both dine in and carry out.

If your facility did not experience flooding, extended interruption of power or water supplies, or sewage backup, please contact our office by emailing ehrequest@buncombecounty.org.  In the subject line of your email, type “Restaurant Open” and include the name of your facility and contact information in the body of the email.  Alternatively, you can call or text 828-772-2820 with this information.

Dogwood Health Trust Small Business Grants

Application window open from Oct. 30 – Nov. 27, 2024

Grants up to $25,000 are available to eligible small businesses located in Western North Carolina.

Small businesses can use the grants to cover expenses related to recovery and reopening in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Eligible uses include repair and replacement of physical damage, environmental cleanup, payment of business-related rents or mortgages, employee retention and hiring, and more.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on November 27, 2024. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered. Applicants that advance to the second round of evaluation will be contacted to provide additional information about their business. Subject to availability of funding, an additional round of funding may be opened.

To be eligible for a Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative grant, you must operate a small business that:

• Is a for-profit business actively registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State (or a sole proprietorship with an active DBA filing)
• Is physically located in one of the following Western North Carolina counties: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, or Yancey; or is located in the Qualla Boundary
• Has been in existence for at least one year
• Has less than $1,000,000 in annual gross revenue
• Has sustained physical or economic damage (not covered by insurance or other funding sources) from Hurricane Helene
• Is currently operating or plans to reopen

Please find info and application here. 

Always Asheville Business Grant Program

Explore Asheville, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, has established the Always Asheville Fund to help the small independent travel and hospitality businesses throughout Asheville and Buncombe County recover from the devastating impacts and aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

• Business must be a small, independent business that had at least 2 employees and not more than 100 employees as of September 26, 2024. (Owners who are actively working in the business do count as employees; passive owners and independent contractors do not.)
• Business must have been in operation prior to July 1, 2024.
• Business must provide a direct in-person visitor experience. A business engaged in providing lodging, in whole or in part, is not eligible.
• Business must be physically located within Buncombe County.
• Applicant must be able to demonstrate the business was impacted by Hurricane Helene, including but not limited to business interruption, physical damage, and/or loss of equipment or inventory.
• Must be able to provide a clear plan to re-open quickly, along with a detailed description for the use of grant funds.

Applications open until Nov. 11. More info here.

US Chamber Small Grants

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has launched the Small Business Hurricane Recovery grant program in partnership with American Express to support small businesses impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The program will provide $5 million in funding, distributing $5,000 grants to 1,000 eligible small businesses across the Southeast to support their recovery and help them build resilience against future disasters.

Eligible small businesses can apply now until Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 11:59pm ET.  More info and application here.

Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Info

Visit this link on the SBA website to apply for assistance.

SBA offers:

• Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.
• Business Physical Disaster Loans: Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
• Home Disaster Loans: Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.

The SBA is currently operating from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce at 36 Montford Avenue – Monday-Friday, 9 AM – 6PM; Saturday, 9 AM – 3 PM; Closed Sunday.

Mountain BizWorks Business Recovery Fund

Mountain BizWorks announced the WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund, created to provide rapid recovery loans to small businesses suffering economic losses related to the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene. The fund is administered by Mountain BizWorks and made possible with support from The Golden LEAF Foundation, and an expanding list of other partners.

The WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund helps small businesses close the gap between when the disaster strikes and when federal loans, insurance payouts, and other disaster relief funds are approved, or businesses have time to recover and get back to business. More info here.

Hello Alice + Door Dash Restaurant Relief Fund

Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund: Hello Alice + DoorDash provide grants of $10K to restaurants who have been impacted by natural disasters. Learn more here.

Applicants must meet all of the below criteria to be eligible for this opportunity. Please note: A partnership with DoorDash or Caviar is not required or considered.

• Be a restaurant located and registered in one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.
• Be a restaurant, gastropub or bakery with a brick & mortar location that has experienced a loss in revenue as a direct result of a natural disaster, severe weather event, or major infrastructure failure which occurred within the last 12 months declared a disaster by state, tribal, or federal government. 
• Operate a brick-and-mortar location.
• Own a maximum of three locations, and employ fewer than 50 employees per location.
• Have been open for at least six months.
• Have revenues of $3M or less per location in the last 12 months

Mountain Strong Business Grant Program

More info coming soon.

Tax Relief for Restaurants and Businesses

The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 (HB 149) passed the legislature on October 9  with a preliminary $273 million relief package and extended the statewide declaration of emergency signed by Governor Cooper. Thanks to NCRLA for the following info.

• Waives the accrual of interest from September 25, 2024, through May 1, 2025, on an underpayment of tax imposed on a franchise, corporate income, or individual income tax return for those taxpayers who reside in the NC counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.
• Waives the accrual of interest on underpayment of state, local, or transit sales and use taxes by taxpayer whose principal place of business is impacted by Hurricane Helene for the third quarter of 2024 as long as payment is made on or before November 30, 2024.