<div style="margin-top: 20px;"><img src="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/citylogo-default.png" alt="City of Columbia Missouri" width="175" height="81"  style="margin-right: 5px;">
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    <p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">P.O. BOX 6015 <br />COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
  <p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">November 24, 2020</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Randy Cole
<br />Housing Programs Manager
<br />Community Development
<br />Housing Programs Division
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.874.6321
<br />Randall.Cole@CoMo.gov</p>

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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px;  margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Boone County contracts with City of Columbia on CARES Act small business funding administration</h1>
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<p>The County of Boone and the City of Columbia are pleased to announce an award of $495,000 in funding to provide financial support to locally-owned small businesses in Boone County. Funding for the countywide program represents an agreement between the City of Columbia and the Boone County Commission to assist locally-owned small businesses struggling with interruptions in operations due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The City of Columbia’s experience in administering a small business assistance program has given the Commission confidence in its ability to administer these funds in a transparent, accountable, and fiscally-responsible manner. Administration of the funding will be through the City of Columbia Housing Programs Division.</p>
<p>Grants of up to $10,000 per business will be available for businesses with 49 or fewer employees.  Businesses must be locally owned with at least 51% of ownership residing in Boone County.  The application portal is anticipated to be open only two days, December 3-4, 2020. Interested businesses can register a username and password in the portal by visiting: <a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fportal.neighborlysoftware.com%2Fcomo%2FParticipant&data=04%7C01%7CMHall%40boonecountymo.org%7C8056b3e98b864723756a08d890774205%7C730078de7c5f44aba37eb97172ab7d15%7C0%7C0%7C637418189167087576%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=VfIeVJym9I80U%2BjWigNaXJNUsVDVJgBablr2WGnnOSw%3D&reserved=0" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fportal.neighborlysoftware.com%252F
 como%252FParticipant%26data%3D04%257C01%257CMHall%2540boonecountymo.org%257C8056b3e98b864723756a08d890774205%257C730078de7c5f44aba37eb97172ab7d15%257C0%257C0%257C637418189167087576%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C1000%26sdata%3DVfIeVJym9I80U%252BjWigNaXJNUsVDVJgBablr2WGnnOSw%253D%26reserved%3D0&source=gmail&ust=1606341326340000&usg=AOvVaw2FbgCq5Hsv2w8HIodER7sL" data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/como/Participant</a>  </p>
<p>An informational session will be held December 1, 2020, at 8:00pm via Zoom.  Please register for the informational session through the following link:  <a href="https://forms.gle/L78SeDzeDSSZLJwp8" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forms.gle/L78SeDzeDSSZLJwp8&source=gmail&ust=1606341326340000&usg=AOvVaw0eNJ9NqzJu_k6BawIPOSQL" data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">https://forms.gle/L78SeDzeDSSZLJwp8</a></p>
For more information, please contact Randy Cole at 573.874.6321 or Randall.Cole@CoMo.gov.

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