NC halts business grant applications as lawmakers mull program expansion

The grants provide one-time payments to help thousands of eligible businesses that suffered an economic loss of at least 20 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic. Department officials said they want to wait for more guidance from state lawmakers on a possible expansion to the program before they evaluate additional applications.

The budget Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed in November set aside $500 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to implement the initiative.