Hancock County Iowa

The Hancock County Small Business Revolving Loan (HCSBRLF) was established by Hancock County Economic Development Corporation (HCEDC) in conjunction with several area financial institutions. This revolving loan program targets small and emerging businesses in the Hancock County area. The applicant criteria for the HCSBRLF are very basic and there is a simple one page application. The fund is not a primary lender, in that other secured financing is required before HCSBRLF will offer a loan to supplement the project.

The HCSBRLF will provide direct loans to small and emerging private business enterprises.

The interest rate charged and the length of the loan will be determined for each project individually based on demonstrated need and anticipated repayment capacity of the borrower. Borrowers may be eligible for deferred payments for up to six months, based on the determination of the HCSBRLF Committee.

A typical loan will be in an amount up to $5,000 for 3- 5 years at an interest rate of 2%.

A minimum loan amount will be $1,000 with a maximum of $10,000.

Applications will be accepted from businesses or owners located within the borders of Hancock County and the corporate city limits of Forest City. (Exceptions may be considered by the HCEDC Board)

Small businesses that employ 50 or fewer employees with a projected gross revenue of $1 million or less are eligible. For the purpose of the application gross revenue is defined as revenue of a business before deductions for any purpose, except sales for sales returns. In the case of a merchandising business, gross revenue means gross profit (i.e. gross sales or gross receipts less cost of goods sold).

Eligible purposes include the purchase of equipment, fixtures, and inventory; acquisition and development of land; leasehold improvements; construction, conversion, enlargement, repairs or modernization of buildings and sites, plants, machinery, equipment, working capital, and technical assistance to aid in development, start-up or expansion process.

Refinancing or restructuring of existing loans are ineligible activities.

The location of each HCSBRLF project or its owners must be within Hancock County or the corporate city limits of Forest City. If the project is initiated at the NIACC Incubator, the business plan must include a provision to locate in Hancock County when moving out of the Incubator.

If the project activity is moved outside the eligible area during the life of the loan, any HCSBRLF funds must be repaid immediately, including outstanding principal and interest.

The applicant must agree to allow the HCSBRLF board to research the company's history, make credit checks, contact the company's financial institution and perform other related activities necessary for reasonable evaluation of the application. All information will be held in the strictest confidence.

In the event inaccuracies, omissions or errors are found, the board will have the discretion of rejecting the application or re-evaluating in based on correct information.

An original and one copy of the application shall be submitted to the Hancock County Economic Development Corporation. Application form and instructions will be available upon request from the HCEDC at 650 West 3rd Street, Garner, Iowa 50438; 641-923-9921 or e-mail to: [email protected].

Applications for the HCSBRLF will be accepted by the HCEDC at any time during the year and considered on a continuous basis contingent on availability of loan funds.

The HCSBRLF Board will take action on completed applications within 60 days of receipt.

Action may include funding the application for all or part of the requested amount, denial of the application for funding, or requesting that additional information be supplies prior to making a final decision.

All applicants for the HCSBRLF must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible for assistance:

Applications for assistance under the HCSBRLF will be submitted to the HCEDC, 650 West 3rd Street, Garner, Iowa 50438.

The HCEDC Executive Director will review the application for completeness and either return the application with discrepancies noted, or forward the proposal to the HCSBRLF Committee.

The HCSBRLF board treats the following records as confidential and they are withheld from public disclosure:

If a proposal is recommended for funding by the Board the applicant will sign a loan document with the HCEDC.

This agreement, at a minimum will establish the interest rate, term of loan, repayment terms, fees, securities/collateral of funds, any specific covenants, and an ACH authorization.

* Personal guarantee of the loan will be required. *