Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible: This program is open to small food service establishments that are physically located in New Hampshire that provide indoor dining and meet all the following criteria:

• Have been operating prior to March 20, 2020;
• Be actively paying Meals & Rooms taxes to the State as a food service establishment;
• Are in good standing with the Secretary of State;
• Have annual gross receipts, including all affiliates, at or below $20,000,000, in tax year 2021, or not exceed annual gross receipts per New Hampshire location of $5,000,000;
• Be submitting expenses for only New Hampshire locations; and
• Not be:
  • A national chain (locations in 3 or more states),
  • A national franchise (locations in 3 or more states),
  • Delivery or take-out only, or
  • Primarily catering.

NOTE: If the applicant's business model exclusively provides food or beverages for consumption off the business's premises (delivery or take-out), the business has a separate license for catering (serving of meals at various locations for occasions such as but not limited to, banquets, weddings, barbecues, outings, picnics, etc.) through the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA), or the business reports to DRA as part of its Meals & Rooms (Rentals) Tax that their "business activity" relates to being a caterer or catering (IE: 20010 – Caterer), such businesses are presumptively ineligible for this program.

More information on "business activity" can be found in Question #2.

A separate application must be submitted for each business/entity location that has a separate Meals & Rooms (Rentals) operating license number in order to help identify expenditures being submitted per location, even if that business/entity is part of a consolidated tax filing or has affiliated businesses.

However, gross receipts from affiliated businesses will be taken into consideration in determining eligibility for this program, as well as gross receipts per location.

How it will work: Applications will be reviewed and funds will be awarded on a rolling basis for eligible applicants with supporting documentation for eligible expenses, with monthly funding rounds until the funds are depleted. If, in the final round of funding, there is insufficient funds to cover all eligible applications received, eligible applications will be awarded on a pro rata share of what remains in the program fund.

Awards will be subject to a $15,000 cap per location and could be subject to approval by the Governor and Executive Council at a scheduled meeting.

As a result, it is highly recommended that you do not wait to file your application. The program application period will close once the funds are depleted, or March 15, 2023, at 4:00 P.M., whichever comes first. Awards will be issued on a rolling basis.

To apply for this program, please visit the program page on GOFERR's website. On that page, scroll down to and click on the "Apply Now" button for the program.

You will need the contact and financial information relevant to your entity's application. This will include:

• Federal Taxpayer Identification Number and Type (including for all affiliated businesses)
• Principal Business Office Address and actual street addresses of all affiliates
• New Hampshire Secretary of State Business ID
• New Hampshire Meals & Rooms (Rentals) Operating License Number (for all locations) and corresponding "business activity" category
  • For example, this business activity category could be "20001 – Restaurant (Full Service)," or other categories listed in the "Meals and Rentals License Lookup" tool in the "Business Activity" column.
• 2021 Gross Receipts (including for all affiliated businesses)

This is a reimbursement only program. You must provide proof that eligible equipment, infrastructure, or technology has been purchased and paid for by your business within the program period. Failure to attach required documentation will result in denial of an application or any unsupported expenses.

For this program, required documentation will include:

• Invoices or purchase orders that demonstrate that the equipment, infrastructure, or technology has been purchased by the entity that is applying for the award during the program period and that contain the actual purchase price.
• Documentation that the entity that is applying for the award has actually paid for the equipment, infrastructure, or technology.

Individual applications must be submitted for each business/entity location that has a separate Meals & Rooms (Rentals) operating license number in order to help identify expenditures being submitted per location, even if that business/entity is part of a consolidated tax filing or has affiliated businesses.

However, gross receipts from affiliated businesses will be taken into consideration in determining eligibility for this program, as well as gross receipts per location.

It is highly recommended that you file an application as soon as possible. The program application period will close once the funds are depleted, or March 15, 2023, at 4:00 P.M., whichever comes first. Awards will be issued on a rolling basis. 

NOTE: In the application portal, a "saved" application will not be considered a "submitted" application.

Awards are subject to a $15,000 cap per location.  If a business previously applied for the program and received the full $15,000 for that location, the business may not apply again for reimbursement at that location.  However, if a business previously applied and was denied an award, or previously applied and was granted an award of less than $15,000 for a given location, subject to all other eligibility requirements, the business may submit a second application for that or other locations.  However, the amount of an award between both the first and second applications for a given location may not exceed the $15,000 cap. 

Please note that the equipment, infrastructure, or technology for which you are requesting reimbursement in the second application must be different or distinct from what you requested reimbursement for in the first application.

 

Business affiliations will be used to assess gross receipts for eligibility purposes. For the Local Restaurant Infrastructure Investment Program, an entity shall be considered to be affiliated with any other entity that:

• Has the same corporate parent or grandparent;
• Shares majority (50% or more) common ownership; and/or
• Files a consolidated tax return.

For purposes of the Local Restaurant Infrastructure Investment Program, the following definition will apply: national chain and national franchise means an entity that operates under substantially the same name in three or more states, regardless of ownership structure regarding the individual entities.

To address workforce issues, consumer behavior, and overall restaurant safety challenges experienced by small, local restaurants across New Hampshire due to COVID-19 the following equipment, infrastructure, and technology purchases are eligible if they are incurred and paid between November 1, 2021, and March 15, 2023:

• New or additional HVAC equipment that will improve indoor air quality for staff and customers:
  • Non-exhaustive list of examples: airflow studies, system upgrades for air circulation, filtration, viral and bacterial mitigation, and efficiency improvements.
• Infrastructure to add or upgrade drive-up or take-out capacity:
  • Non-exhaustive list of examples: construction costs for a drive-up window or take-out counter, electronic or video equipment for communication with a drive-up kiosk, and structures for expanded outdoor seating that are either permanent or can be used for more than a single season. Take-out supplies are not eligible.
• Technology purchases, including hardware and software, to improve or enable social distancing:
  • Non-exhaustive list of examples: online or electronic ordering or payment capabilities, like equipment and services for tabletop ordering and payments, touchless payment systems, and ordering kiosks
• Technology purchases, including hardware and software, to address workforce shortages:
  • Non-exhaustive list of examples: equipment listed above as beneficial to social distancing, as well as equipment or services for mobile/online ordering, check in/table assignment, digital integration with large third-party delivery companies, and kitchen technology investments.
• Installation or set-up charges associated with the above purchases.
• Only costs incurred and paid between November 1, 2021, and March 15, 2023, are eligible. Costs that will be incurred in the future, such as future licensing fees or service fees are not allowed.

The cost of the equipment must not have been reimbursed or covered by other state or federal programs or agencies.

Yes. For this program, required documentation will include:

• Invoices or purchase orders that demonstrate that the equipment or technology has been purchased by the entity that is applying for the award during the program period and that contain the actual purchase price; and
• Documentation that the entity that is applying for the award has actually paid for the equipment or technology.

Quotes and estimates that have not been purchased are not eligible.

To the extent purchases for which you are seeking reimbursement are eligible, and those purchases require delivery to your place of business in order to be installed or utilized, only proof of purchase is necessary. Delivery does not have to occur prior to submitting your application for reimbursement.

You should not submit your application until you are certain it is complete and you have the correct documents ready to upload, as you will not be able to make changes after submission.  You can save your application and finish it later, if needed.

However, if you realize that you made an error or omitted a document before the program closes, you can submit a new application that contains the updated information.

GOFERR will assume that the application filed last in time is the most complete and will only process the last in time application. Because awards will be issued on a rolling basis and reliant upon the availability of funds, applicants should be sure that applications being submitted are complete.

Applications submitted for a business/entity after notice of an award/decision has been sent relative to a previous application will not be processed.

NOTE: In the application portal, a "saved" application will not be considered a "submitted" application.

The corrected application must contain all of the information that you want considered, even if it was otherwise correct in your earlier application, as GOFERR will not look to an earlier filed application for missing information.

GOFERR will not add documents to a submitted application or change answers that you have already submitted.

Appeals are permitted under the circumstances described below.

• Contesting eligibility:
  • Provide an explanation and evidence to substantiate your claim about why your organization is actually eligible for the program
• Award determinations:
  • Provide an explanation and evidence supporting that the calculation of the award, based on the information submitted in the application, is in error
• Application submission errors:
  • Only obvious typographical errors can be corrected, such as misplacing a decimal point or transposing digits

Appeal requests and relevant evidence must be submitted in writing electronically to Appeals@goferr.nh.gov no later than 15 business days after notice of a decision/award has been sent by GOFERR.

The appeal will be determined based on the written submission and documents in GOFERR's possession. No hearing will be held.

Applicants will receive a notice of the determination on the appeal. No further appeal is allowed.

First, if you have already started an application, please check your email inbox for your login information provided as part of your registration process.

In the event that you cannot find your login information or continue to have any difficulty, please contact info@goferr.nh.gov. 

Applicants will need to use an internet browser such as Microsoft Edge, Firefox, or Google Chrome to complete the application. Internet Explorer will not work properly with this application.

We strongly encourage that completed applications, containing all necessary documentation, be finalized and submitted as early as possible within the application period. If you require assistance submitting an application, please contact GOFERR at info@goferr.nh.gov.