On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency, which unlocked $50 billion in federal aid for state and local governments crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, many major cities and states, such as Washington, California, New York, Florida and many more have declared emergencies of their own.
While many state and local programs support emergency services, healthcare and food assistance, there are also a number of programs set up specifically to aid small businesses. Aid includes low-interest disaster loans, grants, and other forms of relief during this unprecedented national crisis.
The following is a list of state and local programs to assist small businesses impacted by the COVID-19:
Alabama
The Alabama Department of Revenue is waiving state sales tax late payment penalties for small retail businesses whose monthly retail sales during the previous calendar year averaged $62,500 or less. Taxpayers registered with the Department as engaging in NAICS Sector 72 business activities are also eligible, which includes restaurants. To learn more, visit revenue.alabama.gov.
Arizona
Local First Arizona Small Business Relief Fund and its partners are launching a fund to help micro-entrepreneurs who are struggling to surmount the financial impact of COVID-19. To qualify, businesses must have 0-3 employees and earn less than $250,000 in annual revenue (approximately $35k-$45k in net profits). To learn more, visit localfirstaz.com.
Arkansas
The Quick Action Loan Program assists small to medium-sized companies that are in the supply chain of essential goods and services (including healthcare, food manufacturing, logistics). Businesses may apply for a loan or loan guaranty of up to $250,000. To learn more, visit arkansasedc.com.
California
Opportunity Fund’s Small Business Relief Fund supports self-employed and small business owners who are financially struggling amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The program offers loan payment relief, affordable capital and expert assistance for restructuring debt, financial and tax advice, marketing strategies, legal support, and human resource and layoff aversion consulting. To learn more, visit opportunityfund.org.
The Berkeley Relief Fund will allocate $3 million in emergency relief grants for small businesses, nonprofit art organizations, and workers rent support. Applicants must be a Berkeley-based arts nonprofit, small business, or resident to qualify. To learn more, visit berkeleyrelieffund.org.
Main Street Launch, a nonprofit that provides capital to small business owners, entrepreneurs and veterans, has partnered with the City of San Francisco to offer loans to small businesses of up to $250,000 with interest rates between 3.5-7.5%. To be qualify, you must operate a business or nonprofit in San Francisco. For some loans, the business must create or retain one or more full-time jobs. To learn more, visit mainstreetlaunch.org.
San Francisco COVID-19 Small Business Resilience Fund is offering up to $10,000 in emergency grants to small businesses. To qualify, a business must have 1-5 full-time equivalent payroll employees and earn less than $2.5 million in gross receipts with evidence of 25% loss of revenue in a 30-day period. To learn more, visit oewd.org.
Los Angeles Small Business Emergency Microloan Program has been established to provide low-interest loans from $5,000 – $20,000 to small businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This program is available to for-profit and non-profit businesses in the city of Los Angeles that have 100 or fewer employees. To learn more, visit ewddlacity.com.
Jewish Free Loan Association is offering no-fee, interest free loans of up to $10, 000 to businesses or individuals who have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Loans are for lost wages, child care costs, funds lost due to cancelled travel plans and more. This program is for Los Angeles and Ventura County residents only. To learn more, visit jfla.org.
Delaware
Hospitality Emergency Loan Program provides no-interest loans of up to $10,000 to eligible businesses in the hospitality industry. The funds can go toward rent, utilities and other unavoidable bills, but cannot be used for personnel costs. The loans have a 10-year term with payments deferred for nine months. To learn more, visit business.delaware.gov.
District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)
DC Small Business Recovery Micro-grants Program offers grants to local small businesses, independent contractors, self-employed individuals, and nonprofits to meet their short-term financial needs. The grant can cover employee wages and benefits (including fringe benefits associated with employment, such as health insurance), accounts payable, fixed costs, inventory, rent, and utilities. To learn more, visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
Colorado
Denver Small Business Emergency Relief offers cash grants of up to $7,500 to businesses in industries hard-hit by the coronavirus, such as the food industry, nail salons, barbershops, home childcare providers, and retail shops. This program is to assist small businesses that may have had to temporarily close, have difficulty with paying their rent and utilities, or have had to lay off staff. To learn more, visit denvergov.org.
Florida
Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program is for small business owners located in Florida statewide that experienced economic damage as a result of COVID-19. This program offers short-term, interest-free working capital loans of up to $50,000 per eligible business or up to $100,000 in special cases. Loans are interest-free for one year. The interest rate is 12% per annum on the unpaid balance. To learn more, visit floridadisasterloan.org.
Illinois
Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund is a $100 million fund to help provide small businesses with emergency cash flow during the COVID-19 crisis. Funds will be given in the form of low-interest loans of up to $50,000 with a term of five years. This program is for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and an annual gross of less than $3 million. To learn more, visit chicago.gov.
Hospitality Emergency Grant Program provides grants to food and beverage businesses and hotels impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants can be used for working capital, as well as job training and technology to support shifts in operation. Bars and restaurants that generated between $500K and $1M in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $25,000. Bars and restaurants that generated less than $500K in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $10,000. Hotels that generated less than $8M in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $50,000. To learn more, visit illinois.gov.
Maryland
Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund is offering grants of up to $10,000 for Maryland small businesses and nonprofits with disrupted operations due to COVID-19. Funds can be used for working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, or other similar expenses that occur in the ordinary course of operations. To learn more, visit commerce.maryland.gov.
Michigan
Michigan Small Business Relief Program will take effect on or around April 1st and provides both grants and loans to small businesses affected by the coronavirus. Grants will be available in amounts of up to $10,000 to help cover working capital. Loans will be available in amounts from $50,000 to $200,000 at interest rates of 0.25%. To be eligible, a business must show income loss and have 50 or fewer employees. Businesses with 100 or fewer employees that can’t get credit elsewhere may also be eligible. To learn more, visit michiganbusiness.org/covid19.
New York
NYC Employee Retention Grant Program provides small businesses grants to cover 40% of payroll costs for two months for use to help retain employees. This program is for businesses and non-profits that employ 1-4 employees, are located within the five boroughs of New York City, and can demonstrate that COVID-19 caused at least a 25% decrease in revenue. To learn more, visit nyc.gov/nycbusiness.
NYC Small Business Continuity Loan Fund provides zero interest loans of up to $75,000 to help ensure business continuity. This program is for businesses with fewer than 100 employees that are located within the five boroughs of New York City and can demonstrate that COVID-19 caused at least a 25% decrease in revenue. To learn more, visit nyc.gov/nycbusiness.
Oregon
Beaverton Emergency Business Assistance Program provides assistance for Beaverton restaurants and bars directly impacted by government enforced, mandatory changes in service guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses impacted will be reimbursed up to $2,500 per month in rent after any rental abatement offered by the landlord. To qualify, businesses must have 50 or fewer full-time employees and operate out of a physical commercial storefront within the city limits of Beaverton. National chains are excluded. To learn more, visit beavertonoregon.gov.
Hillsboro Small Business Emergency Relief Program is offering up to $500,000 in grants to help small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses must have a Hillsboro business license to qualify. Priority will be given to businesses that are closed due to forced closure, a food and drink establishment, education or daycare facility, and are reliant on large gatherings of people. Priority will also be given to businesses that have 10 or fewer employees or are woman, veteran or minority owned. To learn more, visit hillsboro-oregon.gov.
Jade District-Old Town COVID-19 Small Business Response Fund has been established for Portland’s Jade District and Old Town Chinatown, which are predominately made up of Asian-owned businesses, many of which were the first to see profits drop when COVID-19 began to spread in China. The Asian Pacific Network of Portland will disburse $190,000 in grants to qualified businesses. To learn more, visit apano.org.
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia COVID-19 Small Business Program offers grants or zero-interest loans to Philadelphia small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Micro-enterprise grants of up to $5,000 are available for businesses with an annual revenue under $500,000; grants of up to $25,000 are available for businesses with an annual revenue between $500,000 and $3,000,000; and zero-interest loans from $25,000 to $100,000 are available for businesses with an annual revenue between $3,000,000 and $5,000,000. To learn more, visit phila.gov.
COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program, which is administered by Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA), offers loans of $100,000 or less to for-profit businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees. To learn more, visit pidcphila.com/covid-19.
COVID-19 Working Capital Access (CWCA) Program provides critical working capital financing, including zero-interest an low-interest loans, to small businesses located within the Commonwealth that are adversely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. To be eligible, the business must be a for-profit, located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and having 100 or fewer full-time employees. To learn more, visit dced.pa.gov.
Texas
AssistHer Emergency Relief Grant has established a $1,000,000 grant program to assist Texas-based, woman-owned businesses impacted by COVID-19. Texas Women’s University will award 100 grants in the amount of $10,000 to qualified businesses. To be eligible, the business must be woman-owned (at least 51% directly owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens), a for-profit corporation, partnership, LLP or LLC, or sole proprietorship. To learn more, visit twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs.
Washington
Pierce County Loan Program has been established to protect COVID-19 threatened jobs by providing interest-free loans to small businesses located in unincorporated Pierce County. Eligible businesses will receive loans at zero-interest for a twelve-month term at $2,000 per employee, with a total amount per employer not to exceed $10,000. To learn more, visit online.co.pierce.wa.us.
Shared Work Program is a voluntary business sustainability program that provides flexibility to retain employees at reduced hours. This program can be used to support business stability, retain skilled workers, and reduce payroll costs. It’s a smart alternative to layoffs and also provides training programs that develop workforce skills. To learn more, visit esd.wa.gov/SharedWork.
Wisconsin
The Small Business 20/20 Program has been established to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses and micro-enterprises in Wisconsin. The program is designed to ease these businesses’ short-term cash flow challenges and, in conjunction with other state response programs, protect jobs and public health in Wisconsin. Businesses may be granted two months of payroll and rent expenses, up to a maximum of $20,000. Funds must be used for rent and payroll expenses, including covering paid leave (sick, family and other leave related to COVID-19) during the duration of the funding period. To learn more, visit wedc.org.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available. Businesses impacted by COVID-19 may also be eligible to receive assistance through various federal programs and private-sector programs.
