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With only a few days left to apply, Lunenburg County has received 22 applications for the $400,000 in CARES grant money designated to help businesses recover from the economic shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The application deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The funds were set aside by the board of supervisors in July as part of the county’s CARES Act funding to help businesses recover as quickly as possible from financial issues caused by the pandemic. The grants are open to Lunenburg business with less than 50 employees.

Businesses with 1 to 10 employees are eligible to receive $5,000. Those with 11 to 25 employees can get up to $7,500 and businesses with 26 to 49 employees may receive as much as $10,000. With only 22 applications submitted so far, it appears there is plenty of funds in the designation to provide funding.

Lunenburg County Administrator Tracy Gee said the purpose of the grants is to take care of the business community in Lunenburg County and help them stay alive during this difficult time.

Gee said she hopes the county has a lot more businesses apply before the Tuesday, Sept. 1 deadline.

So far, Gee said businesses have been applying to receive funds for employee compensation, utilities and rent. She said she has also seen a couple capital improvement projects in mix as well.

Applications for the grants can be found on the county’s website at www.lunenburgva.org