(File Photo of Gov. Wolf by Commonwealth Media Services)

Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at 6:44 AM

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced today that 5,860 businesses received funding support this year through the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Relief Program (CHIRP), helping to protect and preserve this vital industry in Pennsylvania.

“We developed the CHIRP program to provide immediate relief to the commonwealth’s restaurants and hospitality businesses recovering from the pandemic,” said Gov. Wolf. “These businesses and their employees made sacrifices for their communities during one of the most unprecedented times we have ever lived through. It was a major priority for my administration to offer quick assistance through trusted, local partners that truly understood the needs of their area’s businesses.”

In March, Gov. Wolf secured $145 million in funding to support businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The commonwealth worked with all 67 counties to administer the funding through one or more designated Community Economic Development Organizations (CEDO) or Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI). Grants were awarded in $5,000 increments with a $50,000 maximum.

Throughout the pandemic, the Wolf Administration has worked to provide tools and resources to help our small business community weather the challenges of this pandemic, including allocating $225 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for Small Business Assistance. This program prioritized grants to main street and historically disadvantaged businesses in the commonwealth. More than 10,000 businesses were approved for grants, half of which went to historically disadvantaged businesses. Another $50 million in CARES Act funding was allocated to Hazard Pay for frontline workers. Further, the COVID-19 Capital Working Access Program (CWCA) provided $60 million in loans to small businesses, the administration deferred loan repayments for businesses.