Fresno EDC-

Assistance & Guidance for Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

The Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the City of Fresno have joined together to establish a Business Resource Response Team.  An emergency hotline has been established for our business community to ask questions regarding your needs.

Phone: 559-476-2509  Email: covid@fresnoedc.com

As the threat of the spread of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 continues to rise in our community, please know that the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation is here to help. Our staff is continuously monitoring and evaluating local, state and federal resources and will update those on our website as we become aware of them.  We also have developed tools for businesses while they are considering their options for continued businesses practices.  As always, here in Fresno County we will do what we do best – work together to ensure that we all come out of this crisis with the least amount of impact as possible.  The Fresno County EDC will be working with our partners to bring you up to date information.  Our staff will be available by phone and email to assist you during these difficult times. We are stronger together.

Click here to download a business emergency planning process checklist

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As resources become available, we will update this page

 

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Summary for Businesses

 

CARES Act: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan   (Updated 6/17/2020)

The Paycheck Protection Program loan provides cash-flow assistance through 100% federally guaranteed loans to employers who maintain their payroll during COVID-19.  Collateral and personal guarantees are not required. Loan payments will be also be deferred for six (6) months. PPP loans issued prior to June 5, 2020 have a maturity date of 2 years and an interest rate of 1%. Loans issues after June 5, 2020 have a maturity date of 5 years and 1% interest rate.

SBA will forgive loans if employees are kept on the payroll for twenty-four (24) weeks [revised from eight (8) weeks as of June 5, 2020] after the date of loan disbursement and the money is used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. For each individual employee, the total amount of cash compensation eligible for forgiveness may not exceed an annual salary of $100,000, as prorated for the covered period. Eligible non-payroll costs cannot exceed 40% of the total forgiveness amount.

Eligibility

The following entities affected by COVID-19 may be eligible:

  • Any small business concern that meets SBA’s size standards (either industry based size standard or the alternative size standard)
  • Any business, 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, 501 (c) (19) veteran’s organization, or Tribal business concern (sec. 31 (b) (2) (C) of the Small Business Act) with the greater of:
    • 500 employees, or
    • That meets the SBA industry size standard if more than 500
  • Any business with a NAICS Code that begins with 72 (Accommodations and Food Services) that has more than one physical location and employs less than 500 per location
  • Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed persons

For more information about the PPP loan, please visit: Paycheck Protection Program

PPP Forms and Resources

 

CARES Act: Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Loan Advance –  (Updated 06/17/2020)

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is SBA’s existing disaster loan program that provides low-interest, long-term working capital loan to businesses and nonprofits whose cash flow has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories were eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000 ($1,000 per employee).

The SBA is accepting new EIDL and EIDL Advance applications from qualified small businesses and U.S. agricultural businesses. Agricultural businesses includes those businesses engaged in the production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18 (b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). SBA encourages all eligible agricultural businesses with 500 of fewer employees wishing to apply to begin preparing their business financial information needed for their application.

Applicants who already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Businesses may apply for the EIDL and EIDL Advance here:  https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/

 

CARES Act: Small Business Debt Relief

The SBA Debt Relief program will provide immediate relief to small businesses with non-disaster SBA loans, in particular 7(a), 504, and microloans. The Small Business Debt Relief Program can cover all SBA loan payments including principal, interest, and fees for six months. This relief will also be available to new borrowers who take out loans within six months of the President signing the bill into law. For more information about the Debt Relief program, please visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/sba-debt-relief

Click here for a copy of the Small Business Owner’s Guide to CARES Act
Click here for a copy of a Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist

 

CARES Act: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)  (Updated 4/17/2020) 

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program is a newly available emergency unemployment assistance program under the federal CARES Act. PUA provides assistance for unemployed or partially unemployed individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance, such as business owners, self-employed individuals and independent contractors, and who are unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related circumstances.

The State Employment Development Department (EDD) will be accepting on-line applications for this program beginning on Tuesday, April 28.

Key Information:

  • Up to 39 weeks of benefits starting with weeks of unemployment beginning February 2, 2020, through the week ending December 26, 2020, depending on when you became directly impacted by the pandemic.
  • An additional $600 to each PUA weekly benefit amount you may be eligible to receive, as part of the separate CARES Act Pandemic Additional Compensation program. O​nly the weeks of a claim between March 29 and July 25 are eligible for the extra $600 payments.
  • Benefits can be retroactive to weeks starting on or after February 2, 2020, depending on your last day of work due to COVID-19 and regardless of when you submitted your claim application. The effective date of your claim will begin the Sunday of the week when you last worked and became unemployed due to reasons directly related to COVID-19.

Click here for a PUA Program FAQ Guide: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance  For further details on the Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Program, please visit: Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Program

 

CARES Act: Main Street Lending Program (Updated 7/31/2020)

The Main Street Lending program is designed to help credit flow to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, but now need loans to help maintain their operations until they have recovered from, or adapted to, the impacts of the pandemic. The program offers 5-year loans, with floating rates, and principal and interest payments deferment (one year for businesses, two years for nonprofits). Loan size starts at $250,000 and ranges up to $300 million for some loan types. Loans are issued through eligible lenders, and are subject to the lender’s underwriting standards and approval.

Eligibility

Businesses:

  • Must have been established prior to March 13, 2020
  • Must not be an ineligible business as defined in SBA’s 13 CFR 120.110(b)-(j), (m)-(s)
  • Has 15,000 employees or fewer or has 2019 revenues of $5 billion or less
  • Must be a U.S. business
  • Can only participate in one of the Main Street loan programs
  • Must not have received specific support pursuant to Subtitle A of Title IV CARES Act
  • Must be able to make all of the certification and covenants required under the program

Further information for business borrowers available here: https://www.bostonfed.org/-/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs.pdf

Nonprofits:

  • Minimum 10 employees
  • Total non-donation revenues equal or greater than 60% of expenses for the period from 2017 through 2019
  • 2019 operating margin of 2% or more
  • Current days cash on hand 60 days
  • Current debt repayment capacity – ratio of cash, invesments and other resources to outstanding debt and certain other liabilities – of greater than 55%

Further information for nonprofit borrowers available here: https://www.bostonfed.org/-/media/Documents/special-lending-facilities/mslp/legal/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-nonprofit.pdf 

Click here for further information about the Main Street Lending Program: https://www.bostonfed.org/supervision-and-regulation/supervision/special-facilities/main-street-lending-program.aspx

 

Federal Resources

Inland Revenue Service (IRS)

  • Employee Retention Credit (Updated 5/28/2020)
    The Employee Retention Credit is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50 percent of the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. Eligible employers can get immediate access to the credit by reducing employment tax deposits they are otherwise required to make. Also, if the employer’s employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may get an advance payment from the IRS. The definition of qualified wages depends on how many employees an eligible employer has.

If an employer averaged more than 100 full-time employees during 2019, qualified wages are generally those wages, including certain health care costs, (up to $10,000 per employee) paid to employees that are not providing services because operations were suspended or due to the decline in gross receipts. These employers can only count wages up to the amount that the employee would have been paid for working an equivalent duration during the 30 days immediately preceding the period of economic hardship.

If an employer averaged 100 or fewer full-time employees during 2019, qualified wages are those wages, including health care costs, (up to $10,000 per employee) paid to any employee during the period operations were suspended or the period of the decline in gross receipts, regardless of whether or not its employees are providing services.For each employee, wages (including certain health plan costs) up to $10,000 can be counted to determine the amount of the 50% credit.

Because this credit can apply to wages already paid after March 12, 2020, many struggling employers can get access to this credit by reducing upcoming deposits or requesting an advance credit on Form 7200, Advance of Employer Credits Due To COVID-19.

Employers, including tax-exempt organizations, are eligible for the credit if they operate a trade or business during calendar year 2020 and experience either the full or partial suspension of the operation of their trade or business during any calendar quarter because of governmental orders limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings due to COVID-19, or a significant decline in gross receipts.

Please note that an eligible employer’s ability to claim the Employee Retention Credit is impacted by other credit and relief provisions. If an employer receives a Small Business Interruption Loan under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), then the employer is not eligible for the Employee Retention Credit.

For more information on the Employee Retention Credit, please visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/employee-retention-credit

 

  • IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief Resource Page
    The IRS has set up a special section to help tax payers and businesses affected by COVID-19.  For more information, please visit the IRS COVID-19 page

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development

  • Rural Energy for America Program – REAP (Updated 3/26/2020)
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development issued a notice outlining immediate assistance available to rural residents, businesses, and communities. Assistance includes loan payment deferrals, and the extension of application periods for the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). For more information and assistance details, please visit USDA

 

The U.S. Department of Labor  

  • Families First Coronavirus Response Act – FFCRA (Updated 4/01/2020)On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department announced new action regarding how American workers and employers will benefit from the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The temporary rule is effective from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. FFCRA will reimburse American private employers that have fewer than 500 employees with tax credits for the cost of providing employees with paid leave taken for specified reasons related to COVID-19. For more information about FFCRA, please visit:  Temporary Rule: Paid Leave under Families First

 

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

Small Business Development Center (SBDC) – Central CA 

  • Business Assistance (Updated 4/23/2020)
    SBDC – Central CA is providing business assistance for companies at risk of closing or impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. To request assistance, please click here: https://ucmsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup
  • Webinars
    The SBDC is also hosting a series of webinars to help startups and small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To register for SBDC’s webinars, please visit: SBDC Webinars.

 

EXIM – Export-Import Bank of the US

  • COVID-19 Relief Measures (Updated 6/5/2020)
    The Export-Import Bank of the United States has extended assistance to U.S. customers and lenders including waivers and deadline extensions for 30 days (further extensions may be issued by EXIM Bank).  More info here: EXIM Covid-19

 

State Resources

The State of California

  • Resilience Roadmap and Industry Guidance (Updated 5/05/2020)
    The State of California has created a resilience roadmap with 4 stages of reopening California’s economy. Guidance for the following early Stage 2 (starting May 8, 2020) was issued: Agriculture and Livestock, Auto Dealerships, Communications Infrastructure, Construction, Delivery Services, Energy and Utilities, Food packing, Hotels and Lodging, Life Sciences, Logistics and Warehousing Facilities, Manufacturing, Mining and Logging, Office Workspaces, Ports, Public Transit and Intercity Passenger Rail, Real Estate Transaction, and Retail.

The goal is a safe, clean environment for workers and customers. Before reopening, all facilities must:

1. Perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan
2. Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them
3. Implement individual control measures and screenings
4. Implement disinfecting protocols
5. Implement physical distancing guidelines

For further details on California’s Resilience Roadmap and Stage 2 Industry Reopening Guidance, please visit:  https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap/

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Website
    The State of California has created a website that provides information and resources for residents and businesses. For more information, visit  Coronavirus in California

The California Department of Health

  • Workplace Guidelines (Updated 3/26/2020)
    The California Department of Health has published a series of guidelines and information for a variety of business sectors including adult and senior care facilities, food and beverage and health care facilities, please visit COVID-19 Updates

The California Department of Industrial Relations (Cal/OSHA)

  • Guidance for Workplaces
    Cal OSHA has published guidance on requirements to protect workers from coronavirus. For more information, please visit Coronavirus protection

The California Employment Development Division (EDD)

  • Filing Extension

California EDD is granting a 60-day extension to file state payroll reports and/or deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest for employers experiencing hardship due to COVID-19.  For the most up-to-date information, visit the CA EDD COVID-19 resource page

  • Partial Claims Program

Partial claims are for employees whose employers want to keep them but have temporarily laid them off or reduced their hours. A partial Unemployment Insurance claim can be used for any claimant who works less than their normal full-time hours, and whose employers want to keep them. For more information, visit the CA Partial Claims page

  • Work Sharing Program

Employers can apply for the Work Sharing Program if they are looking for alternatives to layoffs due to reduced production, services, or other conditions. This program allows employers to keep trained employees so that when business conditions improve, the employer avoids the expense of recruiting, hiring and training new employees, and saves the existing employees the hardship of becoming fully unemployed. For more information, visit the CA EDD Work Sharing Program page

The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB)

  • Filing Extension
    The California FTB is granting more time for taxpayers to file returns and pay taxes. For more information, visit  FTB Newsroom

The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

  • Business Assistance
    Go-Biz provides many services to employers affected by COVID-19. For the most up-to-date state resources for businesses, please visit the GO-Biz resource page

The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank)

  • Small Business Loan Guarantee Program
    Small businesses located in California with 1-750 employees may be eligible to apply for a Small Business Loan Guarantee Program. For more information, visit the IBank’s Small Business Finance Center page

The California Restaurant Association Foundation  

  • Restaurants Care Grant (Updated 4/23/2020)
    The California Restaurant Association is providing a “Restaurants Care” grant for restaurant workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  For more information, visit Restaurants CARE/COVID-19 Grant

 

City/County Information and Resources

Fresno County

 

Clovis

 

Coalinga

 

Firebaugh

 

Fowler

 

Fresno

 

Huron

 

Kerman

 

Kingsburg

 

Mendota

 

Orange Cove

 

Parlier

 

Reedley

 

San Joaquin

 

Sanger

 

Selma 

 

Utilities and Other Resources

Pacific Gas and Electric 

  • COVID-19 Customer Programs and Support (Updated 6/5/2020)
    https://www.pge.com/en_US/about-pge/company-information/protective-protocols/covid19-protections.page
  • Pacific Gas and Electric Economic Development Rate (EDR)
    Fresno County commercial or industrial customers can receive an Economic Development Rate discount of 25% on the majority of their electric costs for five years, if they are facing financial challenges that could cause them to cease operations without the reduced electrical rate. Small businesses below 150kW can qualify as well.  For more information, visit  PG&E Economic Development Rate page
    Please note, each application is subject to an approval process

 

Kiva

  • 0% Interest Loan (Updated 4/23/2020)
    Non-profit that expands access to capital for entrepreneurs around the world is connecting U.S. Small Business Owners to 0% interest crowd-funded loans.  To quality for a Kiva Loan, borrowers must:

    • Be living in the U.S.
    • Be at least 18 years old
    • Use the loan for business purposes

For more information about the Kiva U.S. loan, please visit: https://www.kiva.org/borrow/F4H8EZM86WMFC4HJK3GUN63

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