City extends application deadline for COVID-19 relief

The City of Philadelphia and PIDC today announced that the application for the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) will be extended to April 12.

CHIRP is a new $145 million statewide program created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to alleviate revenue losses within the hospitality industry. Through the Commonwealth’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DCED), Philadelphia County is receiving more than $17 million in funding to provide grants to eligible businesses.

The application is available at PIDCphila.com/CHIRP. More than 600 businesses have applied as of March 29 and all applications will be reviewed after April 12. The program is not first-come, first-served; applications will be awarded based on eligibility. Grant awards are estimated to range from $5,000 to $50,000 per business.

“By extending the application deadline for CHIRP, we hope that all eligible businesses in the hard-hit hospitality industry will apply for funding from this program made possible by the Commonwealth,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “Hospitality businesses play a critical role in Philadelphia’s economy and—given the burdens faced throughout this pandemic—we want to make sure businesses are aware of and apply for this significant source of financial relief.”

To qualify, businesses must be physically located in Philadelphia County, in operation as of February 15, 2020, and intend to continue operating within one year of the date of application; have a documented 25 percent reduction in gross receipts between 2019 and 2020 due to financial impact from COVID-19; have fewer than 300 full-time equivalent employees entity-wide as of February 15, 2020; and be in compliance with all local, state, and federal taxes, among other eligibility requirements.

“Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a threat to our health, our safety, our physical, emotional, and financial well-being; and our small businesses, particularly those in the hospitality industry, have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic,” said DCED Secretary Dennis Davin. “This program was designed to provide the critical help this industry needs, and we are grateful for the swift action that Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s other 66 counties took to quickly get this funding into the hands of our small business owners.”

For information or to apply, visit PIDCphila.com/CHIRP