The new Indiana Hospitality & Entertainment grants will be awarded in the order they are received until funding has been exhausted: the final application deadline is Dec. 31, 2021.
Federal funding of $30 million will help Indiana businesses recover from losses caused by the pandemic and also aid these businesses in preparing for a full recovery once the pandemic has passed. Details regarding eligibility and qualifying reimbursements can be found in the news release below and at backontrack.in.gov, where one can also apply for an Indiana Hospitality & Entertainment Grant.
Hospitality & Entertainment Grant
In April 2021, Indiana announced a new grant program to support the state’s hospitality and entertainment industries that have been disproportionately impacted throughout the pandemic and largely excluded from other government assistance programs. The Indiana Hospitality & Entertainment Grant program is designed to help accelerate economic recovery activity by reimbursing certain expenses incurred during and related to the global pandemic.
Please read through all grant details, eligibility requirements and frequently asked questions below before applying.
Grant Details
- Entertainment venues, promoters, and hospitality businesses that meet the eligibility requirements can apply for reimbursement for qualified business incurred between March 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021.
- Only expenses that have been incurred may be submitted. You may not submit forward-looking statements or anticipated costs. If you are approved and receive grant funding, but do not reach the $1 million maximum award, you may reapply to submit additional expenses incurred since first applying.
- Reimbursements for expenses may be awarded up to $100,000 for each month during that period. Reimbursements may not exceed $1 million total for each eligible venue, promoter, or business.
- Eligible businesses may apply for grant funding to cover qualified expenses incurred at their Indiana operations, such as payroll, insurance premiums, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and safety investments. These expenses may be reimbursed up to 80% for non-payroll expenses and up to 100% for payroll expenses.
- The deadline for applying is Dec. 31, 2021. Eligible businesses are encouraged to apply and submit expenses for reimbursement as soon as possible; grants will be issued in the order in which applications are received until funding is exhausted or until the program expires.
Eligibility Requirements
Registered Indiana businesses and venues must:
- Have been established prior to Oct. 1, 2019
- Be registered to operate in Indiana and must be seeking reimbursement for expenses related only to their Indiana operations.
- Be in good standing with the Indiana Department of Revenue or have entered into a payment plan approved by the Indiana Department of Revenue.
- Have been profitable and have had between $10 million and $35 million in revenue (Gross Receipts or Sales) in 2019; profitability is determined by EBITDA
- Demonstrate a monthly gross revenue loss of at least 60% compared to the same month in 2019 (e.g. July 2020 compared to July 2019).
- Have had fewer than 500 full-time employees in 2019.
- Still be operating in Indiana.
- Be an entertainment venue, promoter, or hospitality businesses as defined by the following NAICS Codes:
- 721110 Hotels & Motels
- 711310 Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities
- 711320 Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities
- 711110 Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
- 512131 Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins)
- 512132 Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
Note: Please use the primary NAICS code used on your tax return.
Eligible Expenses
May be reimbursed up to 100%:
- Payroll
May be reimbursed up to 80%:
- Insurance premiums
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Lease payments for real or personal property
- Utilities
- Safety investments
Please Note: Expenses covered by another CARES Act-supported program such as PPP, EIDL, or from a local government entity (CDBG) may not also be reimbursed by this grant. Funding received from other CARES Act programs, with exception of EIDL Loans, will be added to a business' revenue and may impact eligibility or reimbursement in impacted months.
Application
Businesses will need to gather the following documentation to apply. You will upload these documents in the application.
Please note the application has a file size limit: you may submit up to 10 files with a 30-megabyte max. Please logically combine documentation into one upload when possible. If possible, please upload your documents in a lower quality to avoid the size limit error.
To document eligibility:
Registered, Indiana business in good standing
- Federal Employer Identification Number
- 2019 Federal Tax Returns
- Copy of current valid driver's license or other U.S.-issued valid ID
- Current W9
- All signed documents (federal loan/grant agreements) if you have received funding from other federal assistance programs.
Profit Loss
- Monthly Profit and Loss Statement for the months you’re seeking reimbursement for in 2019, 2020 and/or 2021 - Click here for a fillable Profit and Loss Statement
Once eligible, to submit expenses for reimbursement:
ExpenseDocumentation Required
Payroll
- Proof of payroll expenses for wages paid to W2 employees only
- 900 series payroll forms
Insurance premiums
- Proof of insurance premium payment
- Certificate of Insurance (COI)
Rent, lease or mortgage payments
- Copy of mortgage, rental or lease agreement(s)
- Proof of mortgage, rental or lease payments for real or personal property
Utilities
- Copy of utility bills or billing statements
Safety purchases and improvements
- Receipt of purchases and/or improvements made to increase safety. This may include personal protective equipment (PPE) and infrastructure improvements related to the health and safety of employees and/or customers.
Questions?
Before you apply
If you have questions about completing an application or compiling the required documents, contact the nearest Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) office or call 888.472.3244. Please note the Indiana SBDC can only assist you before you apply to help you gather the required documentation. You can also contact your CPA for assistance.
After you apply
- If you have questions about your application status or need to submit additional documents, please email INHospitalityEntertainmentGrantFund@iedc.IN.gov.
- During the review process, applications may be missing information that is required to continue with the review. Applicants will receive an email they can respond to with the necessary materials from an email address with the following format: sbrelief.programadviser106@wherespeedmatters.com
- If your documents exceed the file size limit to upload and you checked the box that you were unable to upload everything, you will receive an email you can respond to with the remaining files from an email with the following format: sbrelief.programadviser106@wherespeedmatters.com
- If you checked the box to receive a confirmation email, you’ll receive an email from Smartsheets confirming receipt of the application.
- If you never received a confirmation email, please email INHospitalityEntertainmentGrantFund@iedc.IN.gov to confirm application submission.
- If you have questions about your application or need additional information, email INHospitalityEntertainmentGrantFund@iedc.IN.gov
- If you receive a grant, you will receive an email from indianarelief@gener8tor.com noting that payment is being processed.
Please check your email frequently and be sure to check your spam folder and/or add these emails to your contacts to ensure you receive communications.