Find out more about the Small Business Growth Loan Program
The Joint Development Authority of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County and the City of Winterville is pleased to invite you to apply for its JDA Turntable Revolving Loan for Small Business Growth program. This program is designed to provide low-interest (2%) 30-month loans ranging from $3,001 to $25,000 to small business in Athens-Clarke County and the City of Winterville to help them grow their business, create new, better, and sustainable job opportunities for the people who live in our area, and make the Athens / Winterville area a place people want to live and work.
We have tried to make the process easy. This is a pre-qualification application to ensure your request meets the strategic goals of this program. We will review your responses, and if your proposal is in line with the purposes noted above, you will be invited to formally apply for the funding through First American Bank and Trust (FABT), who is our servicer for these loans.
To be eligible to apply for the loan, you will have to show that:
The loans will be used for commercial purposes.
You have paid your current and previous 3 years of occupation tax to the applicable local government for the physical location of your business, Athens-Clarke County or the City of Winterville.
Your business has a physical address within the legal boundary of either Athens-Clarke County or in the City of Winterville.
You are registered in good standing with the Georgia Secretary of State, if you are a corporation.
You are an owner(s) of the business receiving the loan.
Once eligibility is determined, your application will be evaluated by the JDA based on the following information:
Your use of funds meets our strategic priorities.
Your request does not exceed our available funds.
If your request meets the JDA evaluation criteria, you will be invited to apply to First American Bank and Trust (FABT). You should be prepared to agree to the following:
Provide 3 years of business tax returns (for S-Corp, C-Corp, LLC, LLP) or personal returns including schedule C.
For corporations, you must agree to a personal guarantee and a credit check for each individual owning more than 20% of the business applying for the loan. Credit checks are also executed for sole proprietors.
Pay a non-refundable $250 application fee for review of your qualifications to ensure your business meets underwriting standards. Please see our FAQ for details on creditworthiness.
Agree to ACH debit for payments on the 5th of each month.
All applications that are deemed creditworthy by FABT will then be ranked by the JDA Board according to our strategic priorities, and available funds will be allocated to the best proposals, pending funds availability.
Apply Now to begin the process.