FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2020

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MCEDC provided additional $1.25 Million from County Council to meet significant demand; over 418 applications in the program’s first week

Rockville, Md. — Applications to Montgomery County’s Telework Assistance Program far exceeded available funds, with 418 applicants seeking over $800,000 from the initially appropriated $250,000 fund. As a result, the County Council yesterday approved an additional $1.25 million for the program on May 14, 2020 after receiving public testimony from local chamber representatives and an update from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC). 

The Telework Assistance Program reimburses Montgomery County businesses and non-profit organizations for expenses incurred to implement a telework policy due to the COVID-19 health crisis to continue operations and stay connected with their clients and employees. The program provides grants up to $2,500 and was originally approved by the County Council on April 30 with initial funding of $250,000. 

The program opened to applicants on May 6. Eligible qualified applicants were placed in the first lottery held on May 13, of which 119 companies were selected for grants totaling the entirety of the initial $250,000 fund. Those recipients will be awarded grants starting May 15, with an average reimbursement of $1,865 (individual awards will vary).

Qualified applicants who were not selected in the lottery will be included in the upcoming weekly lottery held on Wednesdays. This process will continue until June 5, unless funding runs out prior to that date. Applicants who were turned down or did not qualify may apply again.

“Our businesses are doing all they can to keep operations going during this pandemic, including pivoting to telework,” said Benjamin H. Wu, CEO and President of MCEDC. “Significantly increasing the fund to $1.5 million is a demonstration of the growing needs within our business community. We are pleased with the additional support and everyone’s united efforts to keep our businesses open.” 

Marilyn Balcombe, President and CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce said in her Council testimony, “The Telework Assistance Program provides much needed support to small businesses. We appreciate the quick implementation and thank MCEDC for making the application process easy to navigate.” 

A business or non-profit organization is eligible to apply if it meets the following criteria:

1. HAS ITS PHYSICAL LOCATION(S) ONLY IN THE COUNTY; OR ITS COUNTY-BASED LOCATIONS ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 50% OF ITS TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OR 50% OF ITS GROSS SALES; 

2. EMPLOYS 100 OR FEWER FULL-TIME-EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES; 

3. HAS NOT, AS OF THE TIME OF APPLICATION, RECEIVED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE OR COUNTY FOR TELEWORKING EXPENSES RELATED TO THE COVID-19 HEALTH CRISIS; AND 

4. HAS INCURRED EXPENDITURES BETWEEN MARCH 1 AND JUNE 1, 2020 SPECIFICALLY TO IMPLEMENT A TELEWORKING POLICY (E.G., COMPUTERS, CAMERAS, SOFTWARE, ETC.). 

More details can be found on in the Telework Assistance Program webpage here.

ABOUT MCEDC

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) is the official public-private economic development organization representing Montgomery County, Maryland. Created in 2016, MCEDC is led by a Board of Directors of business executives. Its mission is to help businesses start, grow and relocate in Montgomery County by helping them gain access to top talent, business and market intelligence and prime locations. For more information, visit our website. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.