Photo contributed by Sullivan County

Related

Brown to chair statewide committee

MONTICELLO, NY — Sullivan County currently has $600,000 that it’s eager to hand out to local businesses.

“Our Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has helped many entrepreneurs start or expand their dreams,” said RLF manager John Kiefer. “We do not want money sitting in this fund—it’s designed to recirculate in the community, supporting the preservation and growth of agriculture and the revitalization of our many downtowns.”

All a business or entrepreneur needs to have before they apply is a business plan and $50 for the application fee. Once reviewed for comprehensiveness by the division of planning, the application is sent to the RLF advisory board for consideration. If recommended by the board, the application is given to the county legislature for approval. From start to finish, qualifying applicants typically have funds in less than six months.

Rates are no higher than six percent, and loans can be used to fund up to 90 percent of a project. For certain projects that meet the objectives of the county’s Agriculture and Farmland Protection Program, or for applicants who participate in an entrepreneurial training program, up to 25 percent of the loan may be forgivable, essentially becoming a grant.

“I encourage anyone who’s interested to give John or me a call. We’d be happy to talk about the program and their project, and may be able to connect people with other assistance such as business planning help, potential grants, staff training and recruitment, and incentives for energy efficiency improvements,” said deputy planning commissioner Jill Weyer. “And we don’t charge for our services.”

Questions are welcome at 845/807-0527 or email john.kiefer@sullivanny.us. For further information, visit sullivanny.us/Departments/PlanningEnvironmental/TechnicalAssistanceFundingPrograms.

Dan Hust serves as the Sullivan County Director of Communications.