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Applications are still being accepted by the Louisiana Small Business Rebirth Fund, which was created to award triage grants to support the thousands of small businesses impacted by the historic flooding in south Louisiana in August 2016. Awards range between $1,000 and $10,000 depending on the damages, purpose and available funding. Thus far, according to the Baton Rouge Business Report, a total of $350,000 in grants have been awarded to 57 small businesses in Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberia, Lafayette, Livingston and Pointe Coupee parishes. More than 600 applications have been submitted for a grant through the fund, which is a collaboration between the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

To be eligible to apply for a Rebirth award, the applicant must:

• Be a small businesses registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State with 50 employees or less;
• Have been operational on August 10, 2016; and
• Be located in one of the 22 parishes declared in the official federal disaster declaration - Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

An independent review team of technical experts is considering each application in an impartial process, judging each request on the merits and prioritizing funds to help small business re-open their doors and staff their operations. The Louisiana Small Business Rebirth Fund was created in August 2016, representing a partnership with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.), the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (LACCE), the Louisiana chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), and One Acadiana.