SBA ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOANS COVID-19 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Question: Congress passed disaster loans for small businesses. What happens now? https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/

o Answer: SBA is working directly with Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and private nonprofit organizations that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

• Question: My state received approval, but it wasn’t state-wide. Will SBA allow more counties to be approved?

o Answer: In some instances, state-wide declarations are not being made. Instead, they are on a county basis. If your state is experiencing new cases in undeclared counties after an SBA approval, Governors can amend their approved declaration by working with SBA on the county-specific findings.

• Question: My state received approval so where do small businesses apply?

o Answer: Small businesses in eligible areas may apply for an EIDL online at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ or they can also reach out to their local SBA District Offices.

• Question: If small businesses need help with their applications, are there any other resources available to help them fill out the applications?

o Answer: SBA has also coordinated with the Resource Partners, including Small Business Development Centers, (SBDCs) who can assist with the application process. The list of SBDCs is available online at: https://www.sba.gov/localassistance/find/?type=Small%20Business%20Development%20Center&pageNumber=1

• Question: How do I know if a small business is eligible?

o Answer: SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance works with state emergency management divisions to certify certain areas as an “eligible area.”

? The list of eligible areas is also available online at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Declarations/Index or https://www.sba.gov/disaster-assistance/coronavirus-covid-19.

? The list is updated periodically and on the same day a new declaration is approved.

? Your state may not have been approved yet but a county in your state may have been approved as a contiguous county on a neighboring state’s approval, which allows small employers in those counties to apply for loans.

? Please check often to see if your area has been added even if your state has not been formally approved.

• Question: What is an Economic Injury Disaster Loan?

o Answer: The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue.

? The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, or other bills that can’t be paid because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

? The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses without credit available elsewhere, and businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible to apply for assistance.

? The maximum term is 30 years.

? A small business is defined by the SBA’s Size Standards in accordance with the Native American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and SBA’s Size Standards Tool can be utilized.

• Question: What’s the timeline like?

o Answer: Once a borrower submits an application, approval timelines depend on volume. Typical timeline for approval is 2-3 weeks and disbursement can take up to 5 days. Borrowers are assigned individual loan officers for servicing of the loan.

• Question: Where can I find more information?

o Answer: For additional information, borrowers should contact the SBA Disaster Assistance customer service center by calling 1-800-659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

? They can also visit SBA.gov/disaster for more information