Category: COVID19 Business Resource
Restaurant Futures Loan Program
Ascendus’ Restaurant Futures Loan Program provides restaurants with loans of up to $50,000 with 0% interest for the first 12 months. To qualify:
- Be a storefront food/beverage businesses (restaurants, bakeries, cafes, breweries, bar & grill, etc.)*
- Committed to creating a safe and equitable work environment for your employees
- Have been in operation for at least three years
- Have a FICO of at least 575
*Non-storefront food/beverage businesses do not qualify (Food trucks, caterers, distributors & suppliers)
Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant
The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.
Eligibility:
- 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
- Talent representatives, and
- Each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements
- Must have been in operation as of February 29, 2020
- Venue or promoter must not have received a PPP loan on or after December 27, 2020
Allowable Uses:
- Payroll costs
- Rent payments
- Utility payments
- Scheduled mortgage payments (not including prepayment of principal)
- Scheduled debt payments (not including prepayment of principal) on any indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business prior to 02-15-20)
- Worker protection expenditures
- Payments to independent contractors (not to exceed $100K in annual compensation per contractor)
- Other ordinary and necessary business expenses, including maintenance costs
- Administrative costs (incl. fees and licensing)
- State and local taxes and fees
- Operating leases in effect as of 02-15-20
- Insurance payments
- Advertising, production transportation, and capital expenditures related to producing a theatrical or live performing arts production. (May not be primary use of funds.)
Application and additional guidelines will be posted when available. To find out more, visit the SBA’s website.
LISC Small Business Relief Grants
Verizon is committing $10 million to provide grants to small businesses through LISC. As small business owners across the country continue to face uncertainty amid the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this grant opportunity will support recovery and aid in survival through the pandemic and beyond. Additionally, Verizon is making a multi-year commitment to bring one million small businesses forward by 2030 with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy.
Click here to learn more and sign up for email updates when the grant application opens on Monday, February 8th.
Neighborhood Business Grants
To help New York City’s small businesses experiencing financial distress due to the impact of COVID-19, Citizens Committee has launched Neighborhood Business Grants.
Small businesses, vital to the fabric of their neighborhoods, will receive grants of $5,000 – $10,000 to maintain payroll and operations. We will prioritize businesses owned by people of color, immigrants, and women. Proposals that focus on adapting businesses to the challenges of COVID-19 (i.e. delivering orders, fulfilling online requests for products, conducting training and classes online) will also be prioritized. Grants may be made to barber shops, restaurants, food carts, vegetable stands, and other small businesses. Unlike many financial opportunities currently available to small businesses, this program will provide grants rather than loans.
The application is intended to be accessible and short, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If you have any questions, please email businessgrants@citizensnyc.org.
Criteria:
- Business must be located in one of New York City’s five boroughs.
- Demonstrated business revenue decrease of at least 25% due to COVID-19.
- Businesses must employ no more than 10 employees.
Preference will be given to businesses that are:
- Owned by people of color, immigrants, or women.
- Owned by low- and moderate-income residents.
- In need of funding to stay afloat.
- Using funding to adapt the business make it operational during or after COVID-19.
- Groups that have not received Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (COVID-19 related), a Paycheck Protection Program Loan, or other loan.
Access the online application by clicking here.
To view a sample of the application, please click here.
GoFundMe Small Business Relief Initiative
Business owners whose businesses have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can create a fundraiser for their business on GoFundMe. If the fundraiser raises $500 or more, eligible businesses may be entitled to a $500 matching grant from the Small Business Relief Initiative created by GoFundMe.
NOTE: If you start a GoFundMe campaign, be sure to include the hashtag #SmallBusinessRelief in your fundraiser story.
More information about the Small Business Relief Initiative can be found here.
Your business can start a crowdfunding campaign with Mainvest, and you may be eligible to receive a $2,000 interest-free loan, in addition to any funds raised by the crowdfunding campaign.
- For find more information about this loan, create a page for your business, and/or launch your crowdfunding campaign, click here.
The Hebrew Free Loan Society has created the Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan, which offers interest-free loans of $2,000-$5,000 to New York City residents meeting eligibility requirements. The loans will be repaid over a 20-month period
starting in July 2020.
Eligible small business owners:
- Reside in New York City, Westchester, or Long Island
- Meet certain income limits established by the Hebrew
Free Loan Society
For more information about this loan program, click here.
Kiva is offering interest-free loans of up to $15,000 to small businesses meeting eligibility requirements. Loan payments can be deferred for up to 6 months.
Small business owners are eligible for the Kiva Loan if:
- The business owner and the business are located in the
U.S.; The business owner is over the age of 18; - The loan will be used for business purposes;
- The business is not engaged in multi-level marketing or direct sales, illegal activities, or purely financial investing;
- The business owner is not in foreclosure or bankruptcy; and
- The business owner is willing to demonstrate social capital
by having a small number of family and friends make a loan to him or her.
More information about the Kiva Interest-Free Loan can
be found here.
Apply for the Kiva InterestFree Loan here.
“Up and Running” on eBay
eBay has launched the Up and Running accelerator program to help retailers without an online presence transition to selling online. Through this program, new eBay sellers will receive:
- A free Basic eBay Store for three months
- Exclusive access to webinars with expert growth advisors and premium e-learning opportunities.
- Exclusive access to the Up & Running Community group, where you can get real-time advice and inspiration from experienced sellers and eBay team members.
- Powerful selling tools and insights.
- Access to eBay’s 170M+ buyers worldwide.
NOTE: all new business accounts registered on eBay by July 31, in order to receive these perks and be a part of the Up and Running campaign.
To get started, click here.
Free Financial Counseling
Neighborhood Trust offers any NYC business free access to their phone-based financial coaching program, TrustPlus, for three months. TrustPlus financial coaches can help with everything from stretching resources and budgeting to debt management. They can also help displaced employees access and navigate newly available public resources. To learn more about how you can give your staff access to TrustPlus for free, contact Brendon Kinney at bkinney@neighborhoodtrust.org.