Applications are open for Gov. Lee’s Response & Recovery Fund, which provides financial assistance for current and future unmet recovery needs. The initial application for GRRF offers grant funding ($100 million) to support local governments, non-profit organizations, businesses, farmers, and foresters in Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties following Tropical Storm Helene.

Good to know:

• All applications must be submitted by May 31, 2025 by 11:59p CT, and

“It is expected that all selected awardees will be notified on July 2.”

• Tenn. Code Ann. § 12-3-1102 (9)

“Small business” means a business that is a continuing, independent, for-profit business which performs a commercially useful function with residence in this state and has total gross receipts of not more than ten million dollars ($10,000,000) averaged over a three-year period or employs no more than ninety-nine (99) persons on a full-time basis”

You can find this TCA definition if you search Lexis-Nexus Tennessee or go here to look it up here.

• As part of the application, “selected applicants will be required to have an account in Edison, the state's payment system” – this process takes a bit so please, please, please (notice the three “pleases” here) encourage anyone applying to be diligent and follow the directions very carefully

(Note to ESOs: this is something your businesses could likely use your help with)

• On the website, TEMA states, “If you have multiple projects, please complete one application per project.”

All questions about this program should be directed to TEMA grrf@tn.gov. For full details, visit TEMA’s website.