Westmoreland County hospitality grant program opens Monday

Westmoreland County will begin accepting applications for hospitality grants Monday.

Commissioners have said they expect to award up to 200 grants, which will be capped at $20,000 each, to local restaurants, taverns and hotels as part of a state program to assist businesses among the hardest hit by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The grants are part of Pennsylvania’s $145 million program to assist the hospitality industry. Westmoreland’s share is $3.95 million.

Grants will be awarded in the order in which applications are submitted, and the application period will end no later than June 15, county officials said. Applications must be submitted through a link on the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland page at egcw.org/chirp.

Priority will be given to businesses in economically distressed communities and to those that have not received prior state or federal assistance related to the pandemic.

To be eligible, businesses cannot have more than 300 employees, must have a net worth of less than $15 million, must have been open as of Feb. 15, 2020, and must intend to remain open for at least a year after applying for the grant, according to state guidelines. County officials estimate about 1,200 businesses are eligible for the grants.