Bellingham, WA (January 5, 2023)—FORWARD, the leading integrated program administration solution for local governments, is partnering with the Washington State Department of Commerce and local community organizations to accept applications from businesses that sustained physical damage or economic loss due to flooding in Northwest Washington between October 2021 and April 2022. Approximately $10 million in grant money will be made available to awardees thanks to an allocation made by the state legislature.

The Northwest Disaster Grants Program will distribute grants to businesses throughout the Lummi Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Clallam County, Skagit County, and Whatcom County. The program will distribute state funding to help business owners cover the costs of financial impacts brought forth by the flooding. 

The grants can be used to cover the costs of layoffs, inventory loss, facility damage, fixed expense needs, loss of revenue due to closure, and out-of-pocket costs. 

The Northwest Washington Disaster Grants Program provides business owners with funds to continue their efforts to recover and rebuild from these historic floods.

The Washington State Department of Commerce approved FORWARD as the program administrator contractor on December 27, 2022 to assist with community outreach, application support, and screening for eligibility in a way that uses taxpayer dollars efficiently. Applicants and qualifying households can expect the following:

• To apply through FORWARD’s online application portal, available in 68 languages
• Access to application support available in multiple languages via phone, text and email
• To meet geographic area requirements
• To submit proof of active UBI, EIN, or ITIN; or proof of UEI or application in process
• To present demonstrated reduction in business income or activity as a result of a natural disaster such as flood, earthquake, or wildfire, or comparable disaster such as major utility disruptions resulting in property damage or prolonged outages

“FORWARD is proud to partner with The Washington State Department of Commerce on the distribution of government funding to residents across Northwest Washington as they continue their communal efforts to recover after the flooding that has occurred,” 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.”

Eligible businesses in Northwest Washington that have sustained physical damage or economic loss due to the flooding between October 2021 and April 2022 are eligible to apply for the program. The Northwest Washington Disaster Grant applications will open on January 4, 2023. To learn more and to apply visit: https://bit.ly/WADisasterGrant

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, secure solution. From setting up the application back-end, community outreach, marketing, support in multiple languages, eligibility screening, fraud detection, and distribution, to reporting. FORWARD platform distributes resources faster than ever before while also cutting waste, fraud and administration costs. FORWARD has already helped governments administer dozens of programs to get resources to households and businesses quickly, cost-effectively, and securely. To learn more, visit www.forwardplatform.com.