Vitality Fund Grants.

(a) Notwithstanding part B of subchapter XII-A of this chapter , the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development ("Deputy Mayor") may award grants from the Vitality Fund established pursuant to § 1-325.451 to attract businesses to the District or retain businesses in the District, with a preference for attraction to or retention in the District's central business district. (b) Grants awarded pursuant to this section may be used for the following purposes: (1) To cover operational costs; (2) As down-payment assistance or to subsidize rent; (3) To pay for tenant improvements; (4) To cover workforce training or professional development costs not eligible for support through other workforce programs; and (5) To cover recruitment and hiring costs. (c) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a business must: (1) Demonstrate that the retention or attraction of its business will have a significant positive economic impact on the District, which may be evidenced by the following factors: (A) New jobs; (B) Retained jobs; (C) Total employment; (D) Average annual wages; (E) Term of occupancy; (F) Net new square feet occupied; (G) Total square feet occupied; (H) Dollar amount of capital investment; (I) Tax revenue; (J) Return on investment; (K) Contribution of the company's presence in the District to the growth of the company's industry in the District; or (L) Other outcomes identified by the Deputy Mayor that quantify the economic impact of the business's project on the District. (2) Require its employees, in the aggregate, to be on-site at a location in the District for at least 50% of their work hours; and (3) Agree to: (A) Develop or participate in a workforce development program that offers District residents opportunities for training or employment within the business or the industry in which it operates; or (B) Spend at least 5% of its total annual contracting with businesses eligible for certification as local business enterprises, pursuant to § 2-218.31 . (d) By January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the Deputy Mayor shall submit to the Council a report that contains the following information on grants awarded pursuant to this section in the prior calendar year: (1) For each grantee: (A) The name of the business, the location of the business, and the grant amount; (B) The number of jobs created or retained as a result of the grants and the average annual wages of the jobs created or retained; (C) The total number of persons employed by the grantee; (D) The square footage leased or occupied by the grantee; (E) The dollar amount of capital investments made by the grantee, if applicable; (2) The return on investment for all grants awarded; and (3) Any other information the Deputy Mayor deems necessary to demonstrate the impact of the grants on the economic vitality of the District.