Grant Eligibility

The Asheville Recovers Together Grant Fund is a $14 million small business recovery program funded by the City of Asheville through CDBG-DR (Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery) funds. The program provides reimbursement-based grants to eligible businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The program is administered by Mountain BizWorks, Arts AVL, and Eagle Market Streets.

The Asheville Recovers Together Grant Fund has $14 million available.

Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $75,000.

The amount each business receives will depend on things like:

• Your business revenue
• Number of employees
• Storm-related losses
• Program priorities

CDBG-DR stands for Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery.

This is federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is used to help communities recover after disasters.

These funds come with specific rules about who can apply and how the money can be used.

You may be eligible if your business:

• Has its principal location within Asheville city limits
• Was operating before September 27, 2024
• Lost income due to Hurricane Helene and has not been fully covered by insurance, grants, crowdfunding, SBA loans, or other aid
• Is open now or has a plan to reopen
• Has owners (20% or more ownership) who are legal U.S. residents
• Made at least $20,000 in revenue in one of these years: 2023, 2024, or 2025
• Is in good standing (no active bankruptcies or tax liens, and not blocked from receiving federal funds)

The following are not eligible for this grant program:

• Nonprofits
• Cannabis-related operations
• Passive real estate or investment holdings
• Political or lobbying organizations
• Adult entertainment businesses
• Corporate-owned national franchises or chains
• Residential short-term rentals (STRs)

Yes. Artists, makers, performers, and other creative professionals can apply if they meet all eligibility requirements.

This includes having a business located within Asheville city limits before September 27, 2024.

Yes. You may still qualify if your business lost income due to Hurricane Helene, even if there was no physical damage. This may include canceled events, reduced tourism, lost customers, or other disruptions caused by the storm.

Your principal place of business is your main business location.

It must be:

• A physical, commercial location within Asheville city limits
• A place where you regularly run your business
• A space you own, lease, or control

You must be able to show a valid street address for this location.

You can use the Asheville address checker tool to check if your location is within city limits.

You can use the Asheville address checker tool to check if your location is within city limits.

Your business must be physically located within Asheville city limits to qualify.

No. Your business must be physically located within Asheville city limits. This is because this is a City of Asheville grant fund.

Having an Asheville mailing address does not always mean you are inside city limits.

You can use the Asheville address checker tool to check if your location is within city limits.

Yes. If your business is physically located within Asheville city limits, you may be eligible.

You can use the Asheville address checker tool to check if your location is within city limits.

No. Your main (principal) business location must be within Asheville city limits.

If your main location is outside the city, you are not eligible for this program.

To qualify, your business must have been physically located within Asheville city limits and operating prior to September 27, 2024.

If you temporarily relocated due to Hurricane Helene but your principal business location was within Asheville at the time of the storm, you may still be eligible if you have documented plans of returning your business to Asheville soon.

Documentation may be required to verify your pre-storm location.

If your business has permanently relocated outside of Asheville and is no longer based within city limits, you will not qualify under this program.

You can apply if your business has a main (principal) location within Asheville city limits.

This is the place where you run and manage your business, even if you move around to serve customers.

You do not need a storefront to apply.

Many businesses work from studios, shared workspaces, or home offices.

You may apply if your business:

• Has a main physical location within Asheville city limits
• Meets all other eligibility requirements

Home-based businesses may qualify if your home is your main business location.

You must provide proof of your business address, such as a bank statement or utility bill. PO boxes and mailing addresses are not accepted.

No. Your business does not have to be locally owned to apply.

However, local ownership is one factor used in scoring.

You will be asked to:

• Share whether at least 50% of owners live in Buncombe County or nearby counties (Madison, Yancey, Haywood, Rutherford, Polk, Henderson, or Transylvania)
• List all owners who have 20% or more ownership

You can apply as a sole proprietor. You do not need to have an LLC or corporation.

However, you must:

• Have been in business before September 27, 2024
• Report business income on your federal tax return (such as Schedule C)
• Provide required tax documents
• Show proof of your business address

If you do not report business income on your taxes or cannot provide the required documents, you may not qualify.

Yes. You can still apply if you received insurance payments.

However, grant funds cannot pay for costs that your insurance has already covered.

You must report any open or pending insurance claims.

You can still apply, but grant funds cannot pay for costs that insurance has already paid for or is expected to pay for.

Yes. You can still apply if you received an SBA Disaster Loan.

You must report the loan in your application.

You must also show that your business still has storm-related losses that have not been covered by other funding.

Yes. You can still apply if you received an AB-RTGF grant.

You must report this funding in your application.

You must also complete your required grant reporting by [DATE] to be eligible.

This means you cannot be paid twice for the same loss.

Grant funds cannot be used for costs that were already covered by:

• Insurance
• SBA loans
• Grants
• Crowdfunding
• Other disaster relief funds

You must report all disaster-related funding you have received.

No. Business owners at any income level can apply.

This program follows federal guidelines that aim to support low- to moderate-income (LMI) individuals and communities. Many types of businesses can meet this requirement.

For example, your business may qualify if it:

• Employs people with low or moderate incomes
• Is located in and serves a community with low or moderate incomes
• Is owned by someone with a low or moderate income

You will be asked to share your household income and size as part of the application. This information is used only to meet federal requirements.

Grant funds can be used to help your business:

Stay open (stabilization)

• Keep your business running
• Help you stay open if you are at risk of closing
• Support reopening if you are currently closed

Recover 

• Rehire staff
• Replace lost inventory or supplies
• Cover storm-related costs not yet paid for (like water damage or generators)
• Provide working capital
• Help return your business to normal operations

Grow 

• Add jobs
• Launch new products or services
• Expand or adapt your business to increase revenue

Funds may be used for things like:

• Payroll
• Rent
• Utilities
• Inventory and supplies
• Repairs
• Marketing
• Other eligible business expenses

Grant funds cannot be used for:

• Costs already covered by insurance, loans, or other funding (no duplicate payments)
• Construction projects
• Equipment purchases

Other restrictions may apply based on federal rules.

For full details, see the eligibility and use of funds information in the Program Guidance document: [LINK]

No. Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee funding. Grant awards will be determined based on available funds, storm impact, business size and revenue, number of employees, and program priorities.

We encourage all eligible businesses to apply.

Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $75,000.

The amount you receive will depend on your business revenue, number of employees, storm-related losses, and program priorities.

Not always. You may receive less than the amount you request.

No. All complete applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed after the application period closes.

Not all eligible applicants may receive funding.

Applications will be reviewed and selected based on program priorities and available funds.

We encourage all eligible businesses to apply.

No. These are reimbursement-based grants.

This means you will be paid back for eligible expenses.

Only expenses from January 27, 2026 and later can be reimbursed.

If you are awarded a grant, you will need to submit receipts, payroll records, or other proof of payment. Funds will be paid after your documents are reviewed and approved.

You must provide proof of payment to receive reimbursement.

If you cannot provide documentation, those expenses cannot be reimbursed.

No. Only expenses from January 27, 2026 and later are eligible.

Applications will be reviewed during the application period, with final reviews after it closes on [DATE].

All applications are treated equally. There is no advantage to applying early.

Award decisions are expected by [DATE].

If you are awarded a grant, you will receive funds after you submit and receive approval for your documentation.

You must apply online at: [LINK]

Your application must be submitted by [TIME] on [DATE].

You cannot save your progress and return later. We recommend preparing your answers in advance.

You can use the Google Doc or Word Doc version of the application to draft your answers, then copy and paste them into the online form.

No. All complete applications submitted by the deadline are reviewed equally.

You will need to provide:

Proof of your business address

• Example: bank statement or utility bill
• Must show your business’s physical address
• PO boxes and mailing addresses are not accepted

Photo ID

• A clear color copy of a valid government-issued ID
• Examples: North Carolina driver’s license, passport, or military ID

Tax documents

• 2023, 2024, and 2025 federal tax returns
• If you have not filed your 2025 taxes yet, you may submit a 2025 year-end profit and loss statement instead

If you are a sole proprietor:

• Submit your personal federal tax returns (these include your business income)

If your business started in 2024:

• You do not need to submit a 2023 tax return

Income records

• Monthly profit and loss statements (preferred), or
• Bank statements from your main business account

You will need to provide:

• One month after Hurricane Helene when your business was most impacted
• One similar month before the storm for comparison

See full guidance in the Program Guidance document. [LINK]

Use the descriptions below to choose the stage that best fits your business:

• Not operating – Your business is closed and not providing services
• Partially operating – You are open, but at a reduced level (limited staff, hours, revenue, or access)
• Open but not financially stable – You are fully open, but finances are still unstable (debt, low savings, ongoing losses, or relying on recovery aid)
• Open and financially stable – Your business is stable, but still dealing with some storm impacts (like delayed repairs or rebuilding customers)
• Fully recovered – Your business is back to normal or better, with no remaining storm-related issues

You can submit a 2025 year-end profit and loss statement instead.

No. You do not need a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) to apply.

If you are awarded a grant, you will need to get a UEI before you can receive funds.

You can:

• Learn how to get a UEI here [LINK TO PDF]
• Register for a UEI here 

Getting a UEI can take time, so we recommend starting the process after you submit your application.

Yes. You can apply for more than one business if:

• Each business is a separate legal entity
• Each business has its own Tax ID

If businesses are related (for example, owned by the same person or company), there is a combined funding limit of $150,000 across all of them.

Yes. You can apply to more than one CDBG-DR program.

However, these programs cannot pay for the same expenses.

Applications may be reviewed across programs to make sure there is no duplication of benefits.

Information from your application may be shared with other CDBG-DR program administrators, such as Venture Asheville, for this review.

If you receive a grant, some basic information may be shared publicly, including:

• Your business name
• Your award amount
• The number of jobs supported

All other information will be kept private.

Yes. If you receive a grant, you will need to:

• Keep records of how you spend the funds
• Report on the results and impact of the grant
• Respond to any additional information requests

You may need to do this for up to three years after the grant period.

Free help is available at ashevillerecoverstogether.org.

You can find:

• FAQs
• Tutorials
• Applicant resources
• A way to schedule time with a Technical Assistance Support Partner

If you have technical issues with the application, email: grants@mountainbizworks.org