What happens if I do not comply with the terms of the loan agreement?

If the grantee fails to comply with one of the conditions to receiving funds under the Upstart Cocoa Agreement, the Program Manager will contact the grantee in an effort to determine the reason for the noncompliance.  Without compromising the integrity of the program, the Program Manager shall attempt to accommodate legitimate and substantiated problems being faced by the grantee.

If a suspected default or breach occurs, as defined in the Forgivable Loan Agreements, the Program Manager will first contact the grantee in an effort to verify the occurrence of a default and determine the reason for the default.  If the Program Manager is not successful in contacting the grantee, he/she will inform the City’s Attorney of the suspected default.   Once the City’s Attorney confirms the default, the Manager will cease further payments to the grantee and instruct the City Attorney to send a letter, notifying the grantee of the default and demanding either the grantee cure the default or reimburse the City of Cocoa.   The letter will also instruct the grantee to contact the Program Manager to further discuss the matter.  If the grantee fails to respond to the demand letter, fails to cure the default or reimburse the CRA/City the stated amount, or proposes a settlement, the Program Manager will coordinate a meeting of the Upstart Cocoa Review Committee.  The Program Manager will send a letter to the grantee notifying him/her of the date and time of the meeting.  

The Upstart Cocoa Review Committee will meet on an as-needed basis and will make recommendations to the City Council regarding the appropriate action to take with regard to seeking reimbursement of funds already paid to the grantee, including, but not limited to: (1) recommending that the City Attorney’s Office initiate litigation in the event the grantee fails to respond to the demand letter or refuses to reimburse the City of Cocoa; (2) recommending mediation or other alternative dispute resolution actions; (3) recommending terms of a mutually agreeable settlement in the event the grantee proposes a payment schedule; or (4) recommending no further collection action and termination of the Agreement.  The Committee’s decision will be reported to the City Council for final approval.

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1. What is UpStart Cocoa?
2. Am I eligible to apply for an UpStart Cocoa Forgivable Loan?
3. What is the community enrichment requirement of the program?
4. How will the funds be provided to the chosen business?
5. What is the purpose of the weVENTURE portion of the program?
6. Who is on the UpStart Cocoa and UpStart Diamond Square review committees?
7. How will applications be reviewed?
8. What factors will the review committee use for funding recommendations?
9. What are the conditions of the loan agreement once funding recommendations have been made to City Council?
10. How do I get reimbursed for eligible expenses?
11. What happens if I do not comply with the terms of the loan agreement?