Monroe County Executive Adam Bello says the application deadline for the county's small business grant program has been extended.

The program, called Fast Forward Monroe, is now in its second phase, having already helped more than 1,500 local businesses.

Since its relaunch on Sept. 8, 921 small businesses have applied.

The money can be used toward rent, payroll, operating or COVID-related business expenses.

Funding for the program comes from an additional $20 million secured from the CARES Act, and will be dispersed in either $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 amounts, depending on how many full-time employees the business may have.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy and it’s critical we support them as we continue to deal with the ongoing pandemic,” Bello said in a statement. “That’s why I launched the Fast Forward Monroe Small Business Grant Program last year. Through no fault of their own, many small businesses have not yet fully recovered from COVID related economic hardships. Fast Forward 2.0 helps ensure our small businesses have the support they need to weather these uncertain times. I’d like to thank Congressman Joe Morelle, Sen. Charles Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for their help in securing CARES Act funding for our this program.” 

The new deadline to apply is now 5 p.m. on Oct. 29.  

Interested business owners, even those who received funds in the first round of the program, can apply on the county site.

Eligible companies can expect to receive the money by the end of the year.