Williamson County small-business grant program issues over $15 million

Williamson County's Wilco Forward small-business grant program has issued more than $15 million to area local businesses financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a May 21 news release.

In the two weeks since it launched, the county has issued 1,287 checks to business owners, the release said.

“As the Williamson County economy begins to rebuild, more than 1,200 businesses have received assistance to help re-tool and restart," Williamson County Treasurer Scott Heselmeyer said in the release. "In a time of crisis, our leaders stepped up to place a priority on the survival of our small businesses.  Williamson County is setting the standard for protecting jobs and economic opportunity in these difficult times."     

So far, the county has received 3,015 applications with 1,675 approved, the release said. Each application is reviewed carefully, making the processing of the documents time consuming; however, every business owner will hear back from the county regarding their application, it said.

The program is part of the $93 million Williamson County received as part of the federal coronavirus relief bill. Of that, the Williamson County Commissioners Court dedicated $25 million to aiding small businesses.

Applications will be accepted through June 30, but money is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until the money runs out, so an early application is recommended. Applications can be found on the e county’s website at www.wilco.org/forward.