TEAM Leon Business Assistance Program

The TEAM Leon Business Assistance Program provides financial assistance to businesses located in unincorporated Leon County (outside the City of Tallahassee limit) affected by the May 10, 2024, tornadoes. This means businesses that experienced disruption (utility services, access to business location, etc.), loss of inventory (food, equipment, supplies, etc.), or property damage to the building.

TEAM Leon provides up to $10,000 to eligible businesses for the following:

• $2,500 for Business Disruption (i.e., utility services, access to business location, etc.) that has not been awarded/reimbursed or is not expected to be awarded/reimbursed by any other source (i.e. federal government, insurance, etc.).
• $2,500 for Loss of Inventory (i.e., food, equipment, supplies, etc.) that has not been awarded/reimbursed or is not expected to be awarded/reimbursed by any other source (i.e. federal government, insurance, etc.).
• $5,000 for Major Property Damage to the building owned by the business (i.e., severe roof damage, broken windows, etc.) that has not been awarded/reimbursed or is not expected to be awarded/reimbursed by any other source (i.e. federal government, insurance, etc.). Businesses that operate in a residential home and experienced damage will be limited to $2,000 in financial assistance as outlined within the TEAM Leon Individual Assistance Program. To receive assistance for property damage at a residential address, the property must be owner-occupied.

Financial assistance will be provided directly to applicants.

Eligible applicants can apply beginning Thursday, May 23, at 10 a.m. at LeonCountyFL.gov/TEAM.

To be eligible, businesses must be actively registered on SunBiz as a Florida For-Profit Business or Limited Liability Company prior to May 10, 2024, located in unincorporated Leon County (outside the City of Tallahassee limit), and affected by the May 10, 2024, tornadoes.

Businesses that are located within the City of Tallahassee limit, not actively registered as a Florida For-Profit Business or Limited Liability Company on SunBiz prior to May 10, 2024, and/or were not affected by the May 10, 2024, tornadoes are not eligible to apply for the TEAM Leon Business Assistance Program. Additionally, individuals, not-for-profits, and faith-based organizations are not eligible to apply for the TEAM Leon Business Assistance Program. A separate program, the TEAM Leon Individual Assistance Program, is available to individuals and their households located in the unincorporated areas of Leon County and were affected by the May 10, 2024, tornadoes.

Each property address can only receive one type of eligible TEAM Leon assistance. If an individual’s business address is their home address, they are not eligible for both TEAM Leon Individual Assistance and Business Assistance. However, business owners may be eligible for Individual Assistance and Business Assistance if their home and business addresses in unincorporated Leon County are different and both locations were impacted by the May 10, 2024, tornadoes.

Businesses that operate in a residential home and experienced damage will be limited to $2,000 in financial assistance as outlined within the TEAM Leon Individual Assistance Program. To receive assistance for property damage at a residential address, the property must be owner-occupied. 

SunBiz is the website operated and maintained by the State of Florida Division of Corporations that provides a database of businesses and organizations registered in Florida. Businesses must be actively registered as a Florida For-Profit Business or Limited Liability Company on SunBiz prior to May 10, 2024, to be eligible to apply for the TEAM Leon Business Assistance Program. As part of the application, businesses will be required to input information that matches data on SunBiz including the business name and business address.

Leon County will prioritize for review and award applications submitted during the first week of operation (Thursday, May 23, at 10 a.m. through Thursday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m.) from eligible businesses that meet the following criteria:

• Businesses with buildings that experienced major damage as assessed by the Leon County Emergency Management Damage Assessment Teams, OR
• Businesses located along the path of the May 10, 2024, tornadoes.

All other applications will be reviewed in the order in which they were submitted, subject to funding availability.

The TEAM Leon Helpline is available to assist applicants with questions on the online application at 850-606-TEAM (8326), Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

Residents can visit any Leon County Public Library location during regular library hours for assistance with their applications.

Applicants will be required to upload the following documents with their applications:

1. A copy of the applicant’s valid government-issued ID, such as Florida driver’s license, Florida identification card, or passport.
2. Completed and signed W-9 form. This form will be provided in the online application for download. The name of the business on the W-9 Form must match SunBiz.
3. If the applicant is the owner of the building or home of the business location, a copy of the deed to your home/building, property tax bill, property appraiser information, or mortgage statement.

Applicants will receive email notification upon submission of their application. From there, the County’s processing team will review applications for completion and follow up via email regarding any missing documentation or additional information that may be needed. Once completed applications have been reviewed for eligibility, applicants will be notified via email whether they have been approved or denied. YOU MUST CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR COMMUNICATION FROM LEON COUNTY; YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED BY PHONE.

In addition to email updates from the County’s processing team, applicants can check the status of their application through the online portal or by contacting the TEAM Leon Helpline at 850-606-TEAM (8326), Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

Applicants will be able to indicate in their application how they would like to receive payment. Applicants will have the option to receive their payment by mail to the address listed in their application or pick up their check from the Office of Human Services and Community Partnerships, 615 East Paul Russell Road. If an applicant wants to pick up their check in person, they will be notified via email when their check is available for pick up.

Applicants that receive financial assistance through the TEAM Leon Business Assistance Program may be required to report their award to other federal, state, or local programs. As a result, this may impact the amount of financial assistance an applicant could receive from other programs.