While Congress fiddles and diddles with (hopefully) another Coronavirus relief package, some cities and states are using funds received from the earlier federal relief bills to craft grants to help small businesses recover from the economic effects of the pandemic shutdowns. As one case in point, we noted Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is launching a new program to help area restaurants  — which now rely heavily on outdoor seating — survive the winter. Restaurants can apply for a $6,000 grant to purchase equipment that will help promote outdoor dining service—including outdoor heaters, tents, propane, lighting, furniture, and advertising. To be eligible for the $4 million program, a local resident must own at least half of the business, half of the revenue must come from D.C., and at least half of the restaurant’s staff must live in the District. It’s a much bigger number available next door in Virginia, where Governor Ralph Northam this week announced an expansion of the eligibility criteria for participating in the Rebuild VA fund. Under the new criteria more small businesses will be eligible to apply for economic assistance grants of up to $10,000 from the Rebuild VA total allocation of $70 million.