More help is on the way for Rochester-area businesses.

On Friday, State Assemblyman Harry Bronson announced the $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program.

The program will help small business owners cover payroll, rent or mortgage payments.

In order to be eligible for the grant, your small business must have started operations on, or before, March 1, 2019 and continue to be in operation as of the date of the application.

Businesses will be required to show economic hardship as a result of the pandemic and compliance with health and safety protocols.

"They can register so that they get immediate notification when the application is available, but they can also check to see what documentation they'll need to pull together and other info they'll need to pull together so that the moment the application becomes available, they can apply for the grants," Bronson said.

The grant program is a part of $1 billion secured in the state budget for small businesses.