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More help is on the way for businesses affected by the attack on the World Trade Center. The city and state recently created new grant programs to help existing businesses downtown and to attract other companies to the area, using $700 million provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Below are details on the programs, including application information and eligibility rules.

For more information on these and other grants, call the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) at 866-227-0458, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) at 800-ILOVENY (456-8369), or the Alliance for Downtown New York at 566-6700.

You can also get personal attention and answers to your questions by visiting one of two WTC Business Recovery Centers:

The ESDC center is located at 2 Rector Street (the ESDC walk-in center at 633 Third Avenue is closed.). The EDC center is located at 140 William Street (formerly at 110 Maiden Lane). Both are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Small Firm Attraction and Retention Grants

This brand-new $80 million program is open to businesses with 10 to 200 employees that sign a new lease downtown or extend an existing lease for a minimum of five additional years. Grants of either $3,500 or $5,000 per employee—the amount depends on the company’s location— will be paid in two equal installments, the first when the application is approved and the second 18 months later.

Businesses that are located south of the centerline of Canal Street, but not in the restricted zone, are eligible to receive $3,500 per employee.

Businesses in the restricted zone—bounded by the centerlines of Chambers Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Rector Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west—can get $5,000 per employee.

Companies that on Sept. 11 were in the restricted zone and are relocating elsewhere in New York City, even if outside Lower Manhattan, are also eligible to receive $3,500 per employee.

If you’re renewing a lease, your current lease must expire no later than Sept. 11, 2004, and the renewal must be signed between Sept. 11, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2004.

All qualifying businesses can receive this grant, in addition to benefits that are available under the Lower Manhattan Economic Revitalization Plan and other assistance programs.

Applications are not yet available, but business owners should contact the ESDC hotline at 800-ILOVENY (456-8369), or the Alliance for Downtown New York, at 566-6700, for updates on application procedures.

WTC Business Recovery Grants

This $330 million program is open to for-profit businesses or nonprofit organizations with fewer than 500 employees that as of Sept. 11 were located south of 14th Street and are still operating, or will resume operating, in New York City. Street vendors are eligible, but businesses involved in religious or political activities are not.

Grant amounts are based on average revenues that were lost (or, for nonprofits, average expenses) and will depend on where a business is located.

Businesses in the restricted zone—bounded by the centerlines of Chambers Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Rector Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west—are eligible for grants of 4 percent of annual gross revenues or expenses (about 10 days worth of revenues), with a maximum of $300,000.

Businesses located south of the centerline of Canal Street, but not in the restricted zone, can get grants of 2 percent of annual gross revenues or expenses (about 5 days worth), with a maximum of $150,000.

Grants for businesses between Canal and Houston streets are 1.2 percent of revenues, capped at $100,000, and for businesses between Houston and 14th streets, 0.8 percent with a cap of $50,000.

Businesses that received grants from the WTC Disaster Retail Recovery Grant Program, the Lower Manhattan Small Business and Workforce Retention Project, or other non-governmental sources may apply for additional help through this program without having their grant amounts reduced. But grants provided by other government sources for WTC-related economic losses will be deducted from new awards.

Companies with several locations within the area may apply for a grant for each location, but businesses can’t receive more than $500,000 total from HUD-funded WTC programs.

The ESDC center on Rector Street is handing out, reviewing and accepting applications for this program. The EDC center on William Street is distributing applications but not accepting the completed forms.

Applications can also be downloaded from the ESDC website or the EDC website.

The application deadline is Dec. 31, 2002.