Economic Support & Business Relief
The Town of Telluride recognizes the strain many local businesses and residents experienced following the Telluride Ski Resort closure during the 2025–2026 winter season. Our community depends on a healthy local economy, and when disruption occurs, it affects families, workers, and businesses across town.
Town Council has directed funding and resources toward economic stabilization, business relief, and community support. These actions are designed to provide targeted, short-term assistance while protecting the Town’s long-term financial health.
This page will be updated as programs and application details become available.
General Fund Support
Town Council has approved the use of General Fund reserves to support recovery efforts:
Destination Marketing
- $262,500 to the Telluride Tourism Board (TTB) to strengthen destination marketing for the remainder of the winter season and help drive visitation to local businesses.
Air Service Support
- $100,000 to the Colorado Flights Alliance (CFA) to help maintain flight guarantees and preserve regional air service.
Community Support
- $100,000 to the Good Neighbor Fund, administered by the Telluride Foundation, with no residency restrictions. This fund supports individuals and families facing hardship.
Targeted Business Relief Grants
- $400,000 has been set aside for direct business stabilization grants. These grants are designed to help locally owned businesses manage fixed operating costs during this unusual disruption. Additional details on eligibility and applications are outlined below.
Utility Rate Adjustment
To ease financial pressure during the winter months, the Town has adjusted the planned water and wastewater rate increase from 5% to 2.5% for January through March 2026.
Housing Stability Support
The Town will use the Affordable Housing Fund to cover approved rent relief applications through the Good Neighbor Fund for residents in Town-owned properties for applications received through May 1, 2026
Targeted Business Stabilization Grants
The Town is launching a one-time stabilization program to support locally owned businesses that experienced significant impacts from the ski resort closure and labor dispute.
This program is designed to provide partial relief for fixed operating costs such as rent, utilities, insurance, and required fees. It is not intended to replace lost revenue or fully offset losses.
Total funds are limited, and not all applicants will receive funding.
- Total funding available: $400,000
- Maximum award: $10,000 per business
- Use of funds: Fixed operating costs only
- Program type: One-time stabilization assistance
Awards are based on measurable impacts such as revenue decline, fixed cost burden, and employment levels
- Applications open: Monday, February 9 through 11:59 pm on Sunday, February 22
- If additional information is needed to address deficiencies, applicants will have an opportunity to submit revisions. All outstanding materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. MT on February 22. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit early to allow time for any needed corrections.
- Applications that remain partial or incomplete after this deadline will be deemed non-responsive and will not be eligible for further consideration.
- Application review: Monday, February 23 through Friday, February 27
- Award notifications: Monday, March 2
Businesses must:
- Be locally owned and operated
- Have a physical presence in Telluride
- Show documented revenue loss during the disruption
- Be in good standing on Town taxes and licenses
Additional eligibility guidelines will be provided when applications open.
Applications are evaluated using objective, points-based criteria focused on:
- Revenue impact
- Fixed operating costs
- Employment levels
Region 10 will process applications and conduct initial scoring. A Town advisory group will review recommendations to ensure fairness and consistency.
Each eligible application receives a Total Impact Score (maximum 100 points). The scoring framework intentionally places the greatest weight on revenue impact, followed by fixed cost burden, and then employment impact, recognizing that businesses experiencing the largest revenue shocks face the most immediate risk, particularly when coupled with high fixed costs.
Revenue Impact (Up to 45 points)
Revenue Loss (January 1-January 31, 2026) Points ≥40% 45 30-39% 35 20-29% 25 10-19% 15 Fixed Cost Burden (Up to 35 points)
Fixed Costs as a % of Revenue (January 1-January 31, 2026) Points ≥50% 35 40-49% 25 30-39% 15 20-29% 5 Employment Impact (Up to 20 points)
Full-time Employees (FTE) Points 20+ 20 10-19 15 5-9 10 1-4 5
- Employment is considered a tertiary factor, intended to recognize job impacts without favoring scale or diminishing the central role of revenue shock and fixed-cost vulnerability.
This Town program is only one form of assistance. Businesses are encouraged to explore additional resources: