Do you have questions? Email us at LEDA@nmfa.net or call (505) 992-9696

Is your business or nonprofit organization eligible for this grant?

Before you start the application process, verify that your business or nonprofit organization is eligible for this grant. Answer the questions below to get started.

Question 1 of 5 Does your business or nonprofit organization operate in New Mexico?
Question 2 of 5 Does your business or nonprofit organization have at least one full-time or part-time employee but fewer than 75?
(The employee count is based on location staffing. Contractors do not count)
Question 3 of 5 Did your business or nonprofit organization lay off employees or reduce employee hours due to the pandemic?
Question 4 of 5 Is your business or nonprofit organization current on all state and local tax obligations?
Question 5 of 5 Did your business or nonprofit organization experience a decline in business revenue between comparable quarters in taxable years 2019 and 2020?

No. You are not eligible for the Recovery Grant Program.

At this time, you are not eligible to apply. The following groups should apply:

  • A business or nonprofit organization operating in New Mexico. The business has to be physically located in New Mexico.
  • A business or nonprofit organization that has at least one but fewer than 75 full-time or part-time employees employed at any of the business’s locations. A business must have had at least one employee as of October 1, 2019.
  • A business or nonprofit organization that is current on all state and local tax obligations. Businesses must report wages to the DWS and pay unemployment taxes to be eligible to apply.
  • A business or nonprofit organization that experienced a decline in business revenue between comparable quarters in taxable years 2019 and 2020

Yes! You SHOULD apply for the Recovery Grant Program!

Based upon the information you provided it appears that your business or nonprofit organization is eligible for grant funding.

What to know before you get started.
In order to submit your application for review you will need to supply the following documentation:

  • 2019 or 2020 business federal tax return
  • Evidence of revenue decline between 2019 and 2020
  • Copy of the rental, lease, or mortgage agreement term sheet that evidences past, current, and future payments due
  • Proof of rent, lease, or mortgage payment for the entity’s place of business in New Mexico.
  • Front and back of a government-issued photo ID with the address of the authorized officer
  • Copy of the DWS ES903A report from December 31, 2020 or March 31, 2021 to evidence the lowest number of employees
  • Copy of the DWS ES903A report from any time period between January 2019 and September 2020 to evidence the highest number of employees

Click here for more information about required documents

How much am I eligible to receive?

The grant amount is based on a combination of the revenue decline experienced by the business, the number of new full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions hired, and the hourly wages of the new positions.

Now is the time to rebuild your business. We can help.

 The final application round closed at noon on December 31, 2021.

The State of New Mexico is awarding grant funding that will help cover your business’ rent, lease, or mortgage payments to help you rehire the workforce you need.

Reimbursement Requests

The Business Recovery Grant quarterly reimbursement request forms are now available.
For information on how to submit the reimbursement requests, please log into your account here. The information on how to submit the requests and an instructional video have also been sent directly to the authorized officer on your account.
Questions? Please call (505) 992-9696 or email Recovery@nmfa.net.

Is my business or nonprofit organization eligible for this grant?

Before you start the application process, verify that your business or nonprofit organization is eligible for this grant.

How much am I eligible to receive?

The grant amount is based on a combination of the revenue decline experienced by the business, the number of new full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions hired, and the hourly wages of the new positions.

The final application round closed on December 31, 2021.

Applications submitted by noon on December 31, 2021 will still be considered as long as funds remain available. Applications received after noon on December 31 will not be reviewed.

General Program Information

The grants were created by the State of New Mexico to provide $200 million in grant funding to New Mexico small businesses that are experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic. These grants are specifically tied to job creation, must be used as reimbursements of rent, lease or mortgage payments, and are prioritized based on the severity of economic decline experienced by the business.

How does the program work?

The last application round will be open until December 7, 2021. Grant applications will be reviewed and prioritized after December 7, and grant awards will be made following the prioritization.

Grants will be paid on a quarterly basis, with no more than 25% of the total grant award being paid during any quarter. Businesses must meet their job creation projections before receiving future, quarterly grant payments after the first payment.

How much am I eligible to receive?

The grant amount is based on a combination of the revenue decline experienced by the business, the number of new full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions hired, and the hourly wages of the new positions.

What can I use the grant funding for?

Eligible expenses are reimbursement of rent, mortgage, or lease payments on the building occupied by the business. These are the only eligible expenses for this grant. The grant amount paid will not exceed the amount of rent, lease, or mortgage payments during the grant period.

What documents do I need to submit with my application?

Please note: You may use the upload link in the application more than once if needed for your required document uploads.

2019 or 2020 business federal tax return

An extension will not be accepted.

Copy of the rental, lease, or mortgage agreement term sheet that evidences past, current, and future payments due
Proof of rent, lease, or mortgage payment for the entity’s place of business in New Mexico.

Acceptable documents include a bank statement, canceled check, credit card receipt, or ACH transfer.

Front and back of a government-issued photo ID with the address of the authorized officer
Copy of the DWS ES903A report (or other New Mexico SUTA form filed with the Department of Workforce Solutions) from December 31, 2020 or March 31, 2021 to evidence the lowest number of employees, plus

A supplemental payroll report  that includes total hours for all employees to correspond with the DWS ES903A chosen to evidence the lowest employee count. Report Template

Copy of the DWS ES903A report (or other New Mexico SUTA form filed with the Department of Workforce Solutions) from any time period between January 2019 and September 2020 to evidence the highest number of employees, plus

A supplemental payroll report that includes total hours for all employees to correspond with the DWS ES903A chosen to evidence the highest employee count. Report Template

Frequently Asked Questions

General Program FAQs
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General Program Information
  • The final application round will close on December 7.
  • Grant applications will be prioritized after the close of each application round. The prioritization will be based on the revenue decline experienced by a business during the pandemic. Businesses with more severe revenue declines will receive higher priority.
  • The only eligible expenses that a grant can be used for are reimbursements of rent, lease, or mortgage payments for the building occupied by the business. The grant amount cannot exceed the rent, lease, or mortgage payments paid during the grant period.
  • The grant amount is based on a combination of the revenue decline experienced by the business, the number of new full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions hired, and the hourly wages of the new positions.

Businesses will use the following employee (FTE) counts in the grant application:

  • The lowest number of employees during the pandemic in either of two specified quarters, as follows: this number will be found on the DWS ES903A report for either December 31, 2020 or March 31, 2021, whichever is lower.
  • The highest number of employees. This number will typically be pre-pandemic and will be found on a DWS ES903A report from January 2019 to the date of the application.
  • To qualify for a grant, a business must hire new FTEs over the lowest employee count. The total number of FTEs projected in the grant application, including new employees, cannot exceed the highest employee count.

  • Grants will be paid on a quarterly basis, with no more than 25% of the total grant award being paid during any quarter. Businesses must meet their job creation projections before receiving future, quarterly grant payments after the first payment.
  • At least $150 million in grant funds will be available in the first funding round. At least $100 million will be reserved for businesses in urban areas and at least $50 million will be reserved for businesses in rural areas. Urban areas include Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, and the immediate surrounding area. All other areas are considered rural areas.
  • $20 million has been set aside for businesses that were required to be closed as of February 26, 2021. These businesses are identified by their NAICS code and include bars and clubs, entertainment and performance venues, convention halls, theaters, racetracks. A separate funding round will be held for these businesses.
Reimbursement Requests
Required Documents for Reimbursement Requests:
  • Supplemental Payroll Report demonstrating wages and hours for the applicable quarter
  • Copy of your DWS ES903A or other SUTA report for the applicable quarter
  • Evidence of payments of your rent, lease, or mortgage. This can be bank statements with supporting accounts payable reports or canceled checks. The payments may be taken from any time period from March 2019 to current and should not exceed 25% of the total grant amount in each reimbursement request.
Important Information:
  • Quarterly requests reimburse the Awardee for rent, lease, or mortgage payments for up to 25% of the total grant award.
  • A quarterly reimbursement request may be submitted after the quarter has passed. If a business has met all of its hiring goals stated in the grant application, the business would currently be eligible to submit reimbursement requests for Quarter 2 and Quarter 3 of 2021. Each request must be submitted separately.
  • The quarterly reimbursement requests are based on your quarterly payroll reports and must be submitted in chronological order beginning with Calendar Year Quarter 2 (April – June 2021). After that report is submitted, you may submit Calendar Year Quarter 3 request (July – August 2021). Please note that you must have submitted your wage report to the Department of Workforce Solutions prior to requesting a reimbursement for that quarter from the Business Recovery Grant Program.
  • Reimbursement requests must be submitted one at a time. Subsequent requests may be submitted after the request status of a previous request is changed to “approved.”

The Business Recovery Grant quarterly reimbursement request forms are now available. For information on how to submit the reimbursement requests, please view this instructional video. To start your reimbursement requests, log into your account here. The information on how to submit 

Questions? Please call (505) 992-9696 or email Recovery@nmfa.net.
Grant Amounts

Grant amounts are determined by two factors: 

  1. The rent, lease, or mortgage payments that a business makes for its building. The grant amount will never be more than the amount of these payments.
  1. A calculation based on revenue decline combined with the number and type of jobs created by the business. See below for the calculation.

Grant Amount Calculation:          The Grant Amount is equal to (the Base Grant Amount plus Wage Bonus)  multiplied by (the number of new FTEs). 

Base Grant Amount: The base grant amount is determined by the revenue decline from 2019 to 2020, as follows:

Revenue decline               Base grant amount

Less than 20%:                                       $10,000

20% to less than 40%:                       $12,000

40% to less than 60%:                       $14,000

60% to less than 80%:                       $16,000

80% and higher:                                     $18,000

 

Wage Bonus

Businesses that pay a higher average wage for their new FTEs are eligible for wage bonuses as follows:

Average wage of over $13/hr: $1,000 bonus Average wage of over $17/hr: $2,000 bonus

Definition of FTE

FTE means “full-time-equivalent” employee, which is an employee that works 40 hours per week. An employee that works less than 40 hours per week can be considered a percentage of an FTE. For example, an employee that works 20 hours per week is a 0.5 FTE; an employee that works 10 hours per week is a .25 FTE, etc.

The application will calculate the amount based on the information you submit.

 

What is the maximum grant amount a business can be awarded?

  • The maximum total grant award is $100,000. The maximum distribution per quarter is $25,000.
  • The grant amounts paid to a business can’t be greater than amount of rent, lease, or mortgage payments for the business.

Should tips and commissions be included in the average wage?

If the tips and commissions are included in your payroll reports, they should be included in the hourly wage calculation. If they are not in your payroll reports, they should not be included.

Use of Grant Funds

What expenses can I pay with this grant?

Eligible expenses are reimbursement of rent, mortgage, or lease payments on the building occupied by the business. These are the only eligible expenses for this grant. The grant amount paid will not exceed the amount of rent, lease, or mortgage payments during the grant period.

How will those expenses be evidenced?

Applicants will provide a copy of the rent, lease, or mortgage agreement for the business. The agreement must include the past, current, and future payments that are in the grant application. In addition, applicants will provide evidence of the actual payments made, including bank statements, canceled checks, credit card statements or receipts, ACH transaction, or other proof of payment.

Grant Terms

What’s the schedule for the grant payments?

  • The first grant payment will be up to 25% of the grant award and will be disbursed after the agreement is signed.
  • Reimbursement requests for subsequent payments will be made on a quarterly basis. These reimbursements will be up to 25% of the grant award and will be made only if the business has met the hiring goals in the application. The grant will be a reimbursement of the business’s rent, lease, or mortgage payments, and the grant amount will not exceed the amount paid for the rent, lease, or mortgage.
  • A business can skip one or more quarters if it hasn’t met its hiring goals and submit the reimbursement requests in subsequent quarters.
NAICS Codes

How do I find my NAICS code?

On your federal tax return or Form 990, your NAICS code is called “Business Code.”  Your business NAICS code can be located on the following tax forms: 

  • Sole Proprietors – Form 1040 Schedule C: page 1 Box B
  • Partnerships, LLC’s, LLP’s etc. – Form 1065: page 1 Box C
  • S-Corporation – Form 1120S: page 1 Box B
  • Corporation – Form 1120: page 4 line 2a
  • Non-Profit – Form 990: page 9, line 2a-e

 

Other Information

Will the grants be first-come, first-served?

No. Grant applications will be prioritized in each application round based on the applicants’ revenue decline. Grants will be awarded based on the prioritization.

 

When will the grant awards be made?

The grant awards will be made after the closing of each application round.

 

What is a grant?

A grant is money given for a specific purpose without any obligation to repay the funding. Some grant programs have specific requirements that must be met. In this case, the grant funds are based on a business meeting specific job creation goals. This grant does not need to be paid back.

 

Can new or start-up businesses apply?

No. A business had to have been in operation on or before October 1, 2019 in order to apply.

 

Can an owner apply for multiple businesses?

Yes, as long as the businesses have different Federal Employer Identification Numbers (FEIN).

Application FAQs
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Application Information

How do I apply?

The application is available online www.nmfinance.com. If you have any questions, please email LEDA@nmfa.net or call 505-992-9696.

 

When will the application be open?

The final application round will close on December 7, 2021. Grant applications will be reviewed and prioritized after December 7. Grant awards will be made after the prioritization.

The grants are not first-come, first-served, but we encourage you to apply with enough time to correct your application if needed. Applicants should submit only one application. Duplicate applications will not be reviewed.

 

How do I project the number of employees to be hired?

In the application you will provide a list of the positions you have hired since April 1, 2021 and a projection of the positions you anticipate hiring through March 31, 2022. This list will include the job title, the estimated number of hours each week the employee will work, and the hourly wage to be paid.

 

What employee numbers are important in the application?

  • Highest number of employees – this is the highest number of employees a business had prior to and during the pandemic, from January 1, 2019 to current date. The total employee count including job creation goals in the application cannot exceed this number.
  • Lowest Number of Employees – this is the lowest number of employees a business had during the pandemic taken from the quarter ending December 31, 2020 or March 31, 2021. The total employee count including job creation goals in the application must be higher than this number.

 

How is “employee” defined?

Employees include those that are paid wages by the business that are reported to the Department of Workforce Solutions on the DWS ES903A report.

 

Who may submit the application?

The application must be submitted by the “Authorized Officer” designated in the application.

Application Deadline

When will the application be open?

The application rounds will be open on a rolling basis as long as funds are available, through early December. Please see the top of this webpage for the most current application round and deadline.

Each round after the initial round will be open for approximately two weeks. More application rounds may be added as long as funds are available through early December 2021.

The grant applications will be prioritized and grants will be awarded after each application round. The grants will be awarded based on the prioritization, not on a first-come, first-served basis.

Required Documents needed in an electronic format

Please note: You may use the upload link in the application more than once if needed for your required document uploads.

What documents do I need to submit with my application?

  • 2019 or 2020 business federal tax return. An extension will not be accepted.
  • Evidence of revenue decline, as evidenced by one of the following:
    • Copies of CRS reports from any quarter in 2019 and the corresponding quarter in 2020. Businesses that file CRS reports monthly should provide the reports from all three months in the quarter they choose. Business that file semiannually or annually should include the CRS reports for the quarter they choose.

    or

    • 2019 and 2020 federal tax return

    or

    • For businesses that do not file CRS reports and have not yet filed a 2020 federal tax return, you may submit the business’s bank statements and invoices for the months comprising any quarter in 2019 and the corresponding quarter in 2020.

     

  • Copy of the rental, lease, or mortgage agreement term sheet that evidences past, current, and future payments due 
  • Proof of rent, lease, or mortgage payment for the entity’s place of business in New Mexico. Acceptable documents include a bank statement, canceled check, credit card receipt, or ACH transfer.
  • Front and back of a government-issued photo ID with the address of the authorized officer 
  • Copy of the DWS ES903A report (or other New Mexico SUTA form filed with the Department of Workforce Solutions) from December 31, 2020 or March 31, 2021 to evidence the lowest number of employees, plus
    • A supplemental payroll report  that includes total hours for all employees to correspond with the DWS ES903A chosen to evidence the lowest employee count. Report Template
  • Copy of the DWS ES903A report (or other New Mexico SUTA form filed with the Department of Workforce Solutions) from any time period between January 2019 and September 2020 to evidence the highest number of employees, plus
    • A supplemental payroll report that includes total hours for all employees to correspond with the DWS ES903A chosen to evidence the highest employee count. Report Template
Required Documents - Uploading and Additional Information

How do I upload my required documents?

1. In Section 7 of the application, select the file you want to upload from the dropdown menu

2. Click the “upload file” button to access the files on your computer

3. Select the file you want to upload and click the “open” button

4. Click the “Upload your file now” button”

5. Once you’ve uploaded all of your files, click “Save” at the bottom right

6. If you can’t see the “Save” button or the “Upload” buttons, click on the three small dots at the top right of your screen. Choose “Zoom” or “View” to resize your screen so you can see the entire page.

 

Is a 941 report an acceptable substitute for a ES903A?

No. A business must submit ES903A reports that have been filed with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions.

 

I haven’t filed my 2020 taxes. Can I still apply?

Yes, as long as you can provide us with your 2019 federal tax return and as long as you are evidencing your revenue decline using CRS reports instead of tax returns.

 

I don’t file CRS reports. Can I still apply?

Yes. You will need to provide your 2019 and 2020 federal tax returns or bank statements and invoices for the quarter chosen in 2019 and the corresponding quarter in 2020.

 

 I file my CRS reports monthly instead of quarterly. How do I show the quarterly revenue decline?

Choose the quarter to evidence the revenue decline and add the revenue from all three months in that quarter. Be sure to use the same quarters for 2019 and 2020.

 

If my business has a separate FEIN but has a parent company that files the ES903A reports, what documentation is needed to evidence the highest and lowest number of employees?

Submit the ES903A reports that the parent company filed with the NM Department of Workforce Solutions and designate how many of the employees in the overall report are for your business.

 

Technical Assistance

If you need any technical assistance such as computer access, wi-fi, or simply extra hands-on help with the application, contact our partners at the New Mexico Small Business Development Center.

Submitted Application

I’ve submitted my grant application. What happens next?
Submitted grant applications begin the review process, which may take 2-3 weeks. If your application is missing any documentation or if we need more information, the reviewer assigned to your application will contact you via email and you’ll be given an opportunity to make the corrections.

Applications will be reviewed and prioritized after the close of each application round.

You will be notified once your grant application has been approved or declined.

If you’ve already submitted a grant application, you do not need to submit another application. Duplicate applications will not be reviewed.

Do you need help hiring?

If your business needs to hire workers to meet a surge in demand, please fill out the form on this page and we will share your opportunity with job seekers.

Many talented workers looking for their next opportunity have the transferable skills and previous work experience that can benefit you and your business during this unprecedented time.

Let us connect you to the workforce you need to keep up with demand and rise above the challenges of this moment, and even connect you to great employees who can be part of your long-term success.