ATTENTION: We have created a temporary summary page to provide you with highlights of what is in the new bill, while we await guidelines to be released. Visit the page COVID-19 Relief Legislation Highlights to learn more. As guidelines are published, they will be updated in this main page and removed from the temporary one.
In this section you will find relevant federal resources organized by category, and access the latest information. We have also included our Resource Guide explaining each of the SBA financial relief programs and the appropriate use of funds for each. The guide is currently being updated to reflect the changes in the new bill, pending SBA guidelines.
Financial Assistance
Paycheck Protection Prog.
The Second Round Paycheck Protection Program opens to applicants for First-Draw loans on 1/11 and for Second-Draw loans on 1/13 through Community Financial Institutions. It opens to applicants from small lenders on 1/15, and to all on 1/19/2021.
Please visit this page for details on eligibility, terms, and uses, for both first time (First-Draw) and second round (Second-Draw) applicants.
The program is extended through March 31, 2021.
Lender info: We are also working to provide businesses with a list of lenders they may work with if they do not have an existing banking relationship. That list is available here.
We are glad to assist you with this process; feel free to register for assistance at no-cost.
If you would like to participate in an upcoming webinar on the federal relief programs in the new bill, please view our upcoming list here.
SBA EIDL (Loan) Program
Basic loan details remain in place to provide loans to qualifying individuals, small businesses, and non-profits.
The loan is not forgivable, but has generous terms that may allow small businesses to meet the demands of operating expenses as the economy slowly recovers.
HOW MUCH: Up to $150,000
No personal guarantees are required for loans under $25,000.
Please note this IS a loan, and as such your credit score will be evaluated, and the SBA will request financial documents. You can apply here, and be sure to register for help if you’d like assistance with the process.
SBA Targeted EIDL Advance
The new funding bill includes additional funds for this portion of the program, with some new guidelines.
The Targeted EIDL Advance focuses on low-income communities. In order to qualify for funds:
You must be a business with 300 employees or less in a designated low-income community who:
- Experienced a decline in gross receipts of 30%+
- Applied but did not get the full $10,000 during the first round (or)
- Applied but did not get any Advance funds due to funds running out
SBA has indicated they will be reaching out directly via email to qualifying applicants. The email will include instructions to determine eligibility and submit documentation.
All communications from SBA will be sent from an official government email with an @sba.gov ending.
Shuttered Venues 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 Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance.
Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO 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.
The SBA recently released a Frequently Asked Questions Document. Download here.
Visit this page for additional details.
USDA Resource Guide
USDA Rural Development has taken a number of actions to help rural residents, businesses, and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
A rural resource guide has been put together by the USDA, which includes various federal resources already listed in our Federal Resources page, as well as some specific to USDA funding, and other resources for farms.
Click here for the guide.
SBA Traditional Loans
If you are looking for additional financing options, the SBA provides loan guarantees for businesses starting or growing through traditional and non-profit lenders.
The link will provide an overview of SBA-backed loans for working capital, asset purchases, and exporting.
Please note traditional SBA lending is available only to for-profit businesses.
Click here to learn more.
Download our Federal Resources Emergency Business Response Guide
Our Emergency Business Response Guide contains a detailed explanation of all the programs available through the U.S. Small Business Administration.
This document is currently being updated to reflect the changes brought by the new bill signed into law on December 27, 2020. We are awaiting SBA guidelines to update the guide. You may download the existing guide here but please note it does not yet reflect the latest information.
Tax Credits & Filing Assistance
Employee Retention Credit
The new federal bill signed on 12/27/2020 extends this program through March 14, 2021.
Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act businesses with less than 500 employees can take advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees.
This article contains links to each release.
Employee Retention Credit FAQ
This resource provides answers to commonly asked questions for employers and employees related to the Employee Retention Credits.
Please visit this page from the IRS for questions about eligibility and how to access the credits.
Please note as other federal agencies, the IRS needs time to update all their articles to reflect the new bill. The current links will most likely show an expiration date for these benefits that has now been extended.
FMLA & Labor Assistance
Unemployment During COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Labor informs American workers and employers of how to benefit from the protections and relief offered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
The department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) posted a temporary rule issuing regulations pursuant to this new law, effective April 1, 2020.
Please view our “Notices & Posters” section for required posters.
Department of Labor Resources
This specific resource provides information for employees & employers related to COVID-19. It includes workplace safety standards, common issues related to hours & wages, and added flexibility on unemployment insurance among others.
Some of the information is also available in Spanish.
Visit this resource here.
If you have additional questions related to Family Leave under COVID-19, this page may also be helpful. Please note all resources are being updated to reflect the new law.
EEOC & Coronavirus
This technical assistance document provides information about Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act and pandemic planning in the workplace.
It identifies established ADA principles that are relevant to questions frequently asked about workplace pandemic planning such as:
- Does the ADA allow employers to require employees to stay home if they have symptoms of the pandemic influenza virus?
- When employees return to work, does the ADA allow employers to require doctors’ notes certifying their fitness for duty?
Please click here for the full document.
Health & Safety Assistance
CDC Guidelines for Business
This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.
CDC is working across the Department of Health and Human Services and across the U.S. government in the public health response to COVID-19. Much is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads. Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses.
Click here to read more and for a video with additional information.
CDC Cleaning & Disinfecting
This page provides simple and clear steps to assist employers with guidance and considerations as businesses reopen. It includes information on cleaning solutions, disinfecting soft surfaces, and how to handle cleaning procedures when someone is sick.
Please click here to follow the resource.
And don’t forget to reach out to your local health department for questions specific to your business.
Updated OSHA Guidelines
Every Connecticut employer with more than 10 employees and not in a designated low-hazard industry is now required to determine whether any employee with COVID-19 contracted the virus at work.
This requirement revises earlier advice from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and remains subject to further change as the pandemic evolves.
The new guidance states that if an employer finds that an employee did, in fact, contract the illness while at work or while performing work-related duties, OSHA requires that employer to report the incident on an OSHA Form 300.
This new requirement is a change from OSHA guidance issued April 10. For additional information and OSHA resources, please follow this link: OSHA COVID-19