Williamson County helps nearly 3,000 businesses with small business grant program

As of June 9, Williamson County’s Wilco Forward small business grant program has approved funding for 2,891 businesses in the area.

Williamson County Treasurer Scott Heselmeyer updated the Commissioners Court on the progress of the program during a June 9 meeting.

Heselmeyer, who is also the head of Wilco Forward said the county has also cut checks for $28,592,370. In total, the county received 3,172 application after removing duplicates, Heselmeyer said. He added that the average grant amount was $9,890.

On May 6, the county launched the program for locally owned businesses with fewer than 100 full-time employees using funding received from the federal coronavirus relief package. At the time, the county received about $93 million, $25 million of which was dedicated to the program. On June 3, the county added $10 million more to help finish out the program through June 30 as originally planned.

“Thank you for your leadership on this,” Commissioner Cynthia Long told Heselmeyer. “I think helping our businesses helps their employees and helps our citizens allowing somebody to get back to work. And that significance and meaning of having that job is huge.”

Next, the county will focus on giving grants to cities and emergency service districts, with plans to reach out to nonprofits thereafter.