Paramount, CA. (November 10, 2022)— FORWARD Platform, the leading integrated program administration solution for state and local governments, has partnered with the City of Paramount to administer the Small Business Assistance Grant, which provides up to $20,000 to businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications for this grant opened on August 3, 2022. Due to increased community interest, the program was expanded on October 4 with additional funding. Applications will remain open until all funds have been exhausted, first come, first served.

These grants do not need to be repaid. The program uses City funds received from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). 

There is now $712K available. For-profit businesses located in Paramount that were in operation prior to December 31, 2021 and had less than $1M in gross revenue for 2020 or 2021, and have fewer than 20 employees, are eligible for the grants.  Businesses must have a current City of Paramount business license and have experienced financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses that previously received grants from the City, or have an active code enforcement case, do not qualify.

“The pandemic continues to significantly impact Paramount’s small businesses and its effects are felt throughout the community,” said John Carver, Paramount Planning Director. “Small businesses are a key part of Paramount’s economy and it’s important to support them in such difficult times. Programs like this are designed to do just that.”

The City has entered a partnership with the FORWARD Platform to screen applications, validate expenses, and distribute funding in a way that uses taxpayer dollars efficiently. Applicants and qualifying businesses can expect:

• Multilingual application assistance via phone, text, and email.
• Online application in multiple languages.
• A secure FORWARD account login.
• To provide required documentation including a valid ID, a completed W-9 Form, 2020 or 2021 tax return, payroll documents, and a valid Paramount business license.
• To receive funds via their preferred method of ACH, direct deposit, or paper check.

“FORWARD Platform is proud to provide end-to-end programming support to the City of Paramount as the small business community continues to navigate the pandemic-related financial impact on their operations,” said Adnan Mahmud, CEO of FORWARD Platform. “Working with community organizations and using our advanced application screening tools, our team is well equipped to ensure funding is dispersed quickly and equitably, targeting those that are eligible and need relief the most.”

Small businesses are encouraged to apply through the online portal managed by FORWARD. 

To learn more about eligibility and qualifying expenses visit https://insight-editor.livestories.com/s/v2/paramount-business-grant/87542551-2ed8-4d99-9ed0-f4d65bc866bb.

ABOUT FORWARD PLATFORM

The FORWARD Platform is the leading comprehensive Integrated Program Administration (IPA) solution for state and local governments across America. FORWARD modernizes the government’s approach to administering programs by integrating all essential services, components, people, and technology into a single streamlined and secure solution. From setting up the application back-end, community outreach and marketing, support in multiple languages, eligibility screening, fraud detection, distribution, to reporting, the platform distributes resources faster than ever before while also cutting waste and fraud. FORWARD has already helped governments administer dozens of programs to get resources to their citizens and businesses quickly, cost-effectively, and securely. To learn more visit www.forwardplatform.com.