Small Businesses

FEDERAL RESOURCES

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is currently implementing the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. Click here to sign up for email alerts from the SBA as additional information becomes available. The American Rescue Plan provides $50 billion of urgently-needed relief funding for small businesses through several measures. Click here for an overview of the small business provisions in the American Rescue Plan.

Please visit the SBA website for an overview of COVID-19 relief options. If you need help preparing an SBA loan application, please contact a local SBA office. You can find contact information for your local office here. If you need additional help navigating the SBA process, the Maryland Small Business Development Center can help.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides SBA-backed loans issued by banks and other lenders to help small businesses keep their workers on payroll. Borrowers may be eligible for PPP loan forgiveness.
SBA is currently offering PPP loans through May 31, 2021.
On March 30, 2021, Preisdent Biden signed into law the PPP Extenion Act to extend the PPP application deadline from March 31st, 2021, to May 31st, 2021.
Find a participating lender in your area here and please apply by May 31, 2021.
President Biden has announced program changes to make access to PPP loans more equitable.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

The COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofits that are experiencing a temporary loss of revenue.
SBA is currently accepting new COVID-19 EIDL applications from all qualified small businesses, including agricultural businesses, and private nonprofit organizations. Click here to apply. This application portal is for COVID-19 EIDL loan requests only. EIDL Advance and Bridge Loans are no longer available.
If you are seeking to apply for the new Targeted EIDL Advance (grant), please visit sba.gov/coronavirusrelief to learn more about eligibility requirements and how to access the next round of EIDL Advance funds.

Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

The Targeted EIDL Advance provides businesses in low-income communities with additional funds to ensure small business continuity, adaptation, and resiliency. Applications for this program are closed.
SBA is reaching out to businesses who qualify for the new Targeted EIDL limited eligibility. Prior applicants do not need to take any action.
Advance funds of up to $10,000 will be available to applicants in low-income communities who previously received an EIDL Advance for less than $10,000, or those who applied but received no funds due to lack of available program funding. SBA first reached out to EIDL applicants who already received a partial EIDL Advance (between $1,000 - $9,000).
Applicants are being contacted directly by SBA via email with instructions to determine eligibility and submit documentation.
All communication from SBA will be sent from an official government email account ending with @sba.gov. Please do not send sensitive information via email to any address that does not end with @sba.gov.

Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) Program

Starting on April 24, the SBA will accept applications for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, which provides emergency assistance for eligible venues affected by COVID-19. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues.
Applicants may register for an application portal account here.
Eligible entities include: live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who meet specific criteria, motion picture theater operators and talent representatives. The entity must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020.
Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.
A venue or promoter who received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020, will have the SVOG reduced by the PPP loan amount.
For more information about the SVOG program, including who can apply, how to apply, grant amounts, allowable use of funds, and video tutorials, click here.
The updated user guide can be found here.
The updated FAQs are available here.

Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grants

The American Rescue Plan provided $28.6 billion for the creation of a Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), which is a new program at SBA to offer assistance to restaurants and bars with 20 or fewer locations that have been hit hard by the pandemic. Under this new Fund, restaurants and related businesses may qualify for grants of up to $5 million per location or $10 million total per business. $5 billion of this new Fund is set aside specifically for smaller establishments with less than $500,000 in 2019 annual revenue. During the first 21 days, applications from restaurants owned and operated by women, veterans, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will receive priority.
Eligible entities include: restaurants, caterers, bakeries, bars, breweries, wineries, distilleries, inns, food trucks, food carts, and other entities that have experienced pandemic-related revenue loss.
Recipients are not required to repay the RRF grant as long as the funds are used for eligible purposes no later than March 11, 2023.
Applications will open in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you may view the sample application form here.
Once the SBA is ready for RRF applications, qualifying restaurants can work directly with their point-of-sale service providers (Clover®, NCR Corporation, Square, or Toast) to apply for relief funds. Alternatively, qualifying restaurants can also apply directly through the SBA RRF portal here.
For more information regarding application instructions and program details, please visit the SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund page here.

STATE RESOURCES

Visit the Maryland Coronavirus Information Page for Businesses here. You can also visit the website to subscribe to receive email updates. Click here for an ongoing FAQ guide for Maryland businesses planning and responding to the coronavirus. Click here for FAQ translations in more than 10 languages.

The Relief Act of 2021 was signed into law in Maryland in February 2021. You can find a summary of the Relief Act here. The Maryland Department of Commerce expects to accept applications for new Relief Act funding from March 30, 2021 to April 6, 2021. You can check for updates about Relief Act funding programs for businesses here. You can also find additional information on the Maryland Comptroller's website here.

The Relief Act established the following state-wide programs:

Small Business COVID RELIEF Grant Program

The grant offers assistance to certain Maryland small businesses with disrupted operations due to COVID-19. Application are open starting March 30, 2021 at 9 am through April 6, 2021 at 11:59 pm. Learn more here.

Small, Minority and Women Owned Business Account COVID RELIEF Program

Click here for more informaiton about the grant program, including how to apply.

Commuter and Shuttle Bus COVID RELIEF Grant Program

Learn more here as additional information is shared about the grant program and how to apply.

The Relief Act also established the following programs that will be administered by each county and Baltimore City. Click here for details about applying to the programs.

Online Sales and Telework Assistance COVID RELIEF Grant Program
Restaurant and Caterers COVID RELIEF Grant Program
Lodging and Accommodations COVID RELIEF Grant Program

For more information about the Relief Act Sales and Use Tax Credit, click here. Click here for additional information in Spanish.

For more information about the Relief Act Grant and Loan Program, click here. Click here for additional information in Spanish.