WORK Relaunch Volusia
Volusia County Government has issued Relaunch Volusia, a plan that outlines the phased reopening of facilities and services. The comprehensive plan can be found at Volusia.org.
The County is allocating up to $10 million in emergency relief to support local businesses with a commercial presence within the County who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are available as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act federal stimulus package. As a part of that relief, the County is offering emergency financial support through the Relaunch Volusia: Small Business Reopening Grant Program on a first come first serve basis. Qualifying businesses may be eligible to receive a one-time Reopening Grant Program grant (“Grant”)
grant of $1,500. Also, Volusia County businesses can apply for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) – such as shields, masks, gowns, separators, and gloves – for qualifying Volusia County businesses.
of $3,000 for businesses that have 25 employees or less or $5,000 for businesses that have between 26 and 50 employees to help them recover from the negative financial consequences resulting from the COVID19 pandemic and relaunch their Volusia County business. The
Volusia County Council also approved a $3 million grant program to assist home-based businesses in the county that have sustained financial impacts from the coronavirus crisis. Home-based businesses that meet the eligibility criteria, they can qualify for a one-time
Helga Van Eckert, Director of Volusia County Economic Development stated, “Volusia County Economic Development is pleased to work with our city practitioners to offer financial support packages to our vital businesses in the form of grants for small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as home-based businesses and businesses that require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for safe operation. The programs are funded by the Volusia County CARES Act dollars. Applications and information can be found at: www.VolusiaBusinessResources. com. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you.”
How Greater Daytona Region Businesses Are Getting Back to Work As much of the Sunshine State has transitioned back to work, since June 5, 2020, the Greater Daytona Region has been following phase 2 of the Governor’s “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.” Volusia County is filled with examples of how businesses and employees alike are doing so safely. Just read on to learn about promising employment numbers, protective measures and more. Putting safety first From restaurants to retailers, professional services to manufacturers and every industry in between, the Greater Daytona Region is here to help businesses resume operations as safely as possible. One example of this commitment to safety (for businesses and customers alike) can be seen through Volusia County’s Personal Protective Equipment Distribution Program. Through the assistance of a $1 million County Council allocation of recovery funds, the county was able to distribute about 7,000 PPE supply kits including gloves, face masks, wipes, hand sanitizer and thermometers to local businesses throughout the county. This is just one example of how the county supports the safe, regulat-
ed reopening for all businesses. (Tip: Business can stay up-to-date with future funding opportunities, safety programs and more by visiting VolusiaBusinessResources. com.) Return of local jobs Though it may take some time to achieve a thorough understanding of job opportunities returning to the region, early signs suggest Volusia County residents are slowly but surely returning to work. In late June, data released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity saw unemployment claims in Volusia and Flagler counties drop from earlier weeks (and drastically down from unem-
ployment numbers earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic). 2019 ended on a positive note for the Greater Daytona Region—according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, staffing firm Manpower predicted that the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach would see some of the country’s best job growth rates in 2020. Though COVID-19 has naturally delivered unprecedent changes to the local workforce, Team Volusia and other community partners remain optimistic and look forward with regards to rising employment numbers, industry developments and more. Business as usual?
Depending on the unique industry, some businesses may return to normal operations (or something close to it) sooner than others; and of course, all types of organizations will need to make sweeping safety and operational changes to ensure success during—and beyond—today’s COVID-19 concerns. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to assist companies of all shapes and sizes as they prepare to make those changes. Visit VolusiaBusinessResources. com to learn more about programs that may be available to you on a local, state and national level. As a dynamic, regularly updated website, this tool is designed to serve your needs at every step of the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 journey. At Team Volusia, our commitment to local economic development is stronger than ever, and we will work tirelessly to assist companies navigating the season ahead. Be sure to contact our team if you have questions about the economic climate, talent opportunities and relocation resources for your business. We are here to help.
