Small Business Employee Vaccination Grant

The Small Business Employee Vaccination Grant has received $500,000 in federal CARES Act funds as part of Utah’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. It provides reimbursement to Utah small business employers that pay employees for time off to either receive a COVID-19 vaccine or recuperate should they experience side effects after their vaccination.

The grant offers employers funds to provide paid time off for employees who may otherwise not be eligible for paid time off. The grant may be used for both full-time and part-time employees.

Grants will be offered to employers on a first-come, first-served basis until the $500,000 grant funds are encumbered.

Eligibility

Eligible businesses must have:
  • Less than 50 full-time Utah employees who work 40 hours or more
  • One or more employees who will receive paid time off to either receive a COVID-19 vaccine or recuperate should they experience side effects after their vaccination
Employers have until January 20, 2022, to submit applications for reimbursement. The deadline to request reimbursement has been extended to February 11, 2022. Please contact utaheconcompliance@utah.gov to amend your contract.
Eligible recipients must have:
  • Received a COVID-19 vaccine between November 16, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
  • Recuperated after receiving the vaccination
  • Taken a dependent child (5-18 years old) to receive the vaccine, or
  • Been the caregiver for a dependent child (5-18 years old) who needed assistance to recuperate after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Application Documentation

Applications for grant program participation require:

  • Number of employees
  • Hourly wage of each employee eligible for the grant reimbursement
    • If wages are primarily gratuity-based, the employee’s average hourly wage,
      including gratuity, will be reimbursed. The Economic Opportunity office will verify that the wage is
      consistent with the state average wage per position.
    • Please use this spreadsheet to calculate the potential grant amount.

The contract maximum will be 20 hours per eligible employee.

Payment application requires a written statement from each employee that:

  1. They received the COVID-19 vaccine
  2. Date(s) of vaccination
  3. Hours of work that were missed
  4. The amount of compensation they received for paid time off

Employers have until January 20, 2022, to submit applications for reimbursement.

Grant Amount

The grant amount requested cannot exceed the amount the employer paid (entire labor burden) to the employee(s) for time off related to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine or recuperating should they experience side effects after their vaccination. Any such time, and reimbursement request, cannot exceed 20 hours per employee.

The submission of a grant application does not guarantee payment. Payments are based on the availability of grant funds and the required documentation established in the contract.

Apply

The application process will opened on November 16, 2021, at 9 a.m. (MST).

This grant is now closed.

Questions or Feedback

Please let us know of any questions, comments or feedback by emailing Dane Ishihara at dishihara@utah.gov.