April 13, 2021 | Last Updated on: September 19, 2024
As of May 28, 2021, the Paycheck Protection Program has run out of funding. You can learn more about the PPP with our COVID-19 resource hub.
Think the Cares Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and other federal stimulus programs are your only options for getting small business disaster relief to help you get through the COVID-19 crisis? Think again! State and local governments and private agencies offer countless funding opportunities. Many are more attractive — and could be better for your business — than the federal options. Tip: Paycheck Protection Program loans have received additional financing from Congress. Find out more at the Small Business Administration website, SBA.gov. It provides a complete array of COVID-19 resources. Here’s a list of some of the most interesting loan programs organized by state and locality. Don’t consider it complete. The line-up of economic development programs is constantly changing. States, municipalities and private organizations add new ones every day. Check your governor’s website for the latest relief information. Another option: Connect with your chamber of commerce or small business development center (sbdc) to find out what’s happening in your area.
The Birmingham Strong Emergency Loan Fund is offering zero interest, 180-day loans of up to $25,000 to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have fewer than 50 employees. The program is designed to provide short term economic security to small business owners in the Birmingham area.
The West Alabama Small Business Relief Fund offers grants to businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Organizations must show they’ve been negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
The Local First Arizona Small Business Relief Fund provides micro-grants to businesses with fewer than three employees, and annual revenue under $250,000, that are dealing with the impact of COVID-19. The program is currently not accepting applications, but it is seeking donations to continue making grants. The website offers links to additional small business funding resources.
The state is using $12 million of community development block grant money and $4 million from the state’s Quick Action Closing Fund to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The City of Los Angeles Small Business Emergency Microloan Program allows small businesses in the city that provide low-income jobs to get emergency microloans of up to $20,000. Loans that are paid back in less than one year come with a zero percent interest rate. Five-year loans have interest rates of between three and five percent. To qualify, business owners must have a reasonably good credit history, promise to use the loan money for working capital, complete a loan application and provide supporting documentation. Under certain circumstances, the loans may need to be guaranteed with personal assets.
Poway Emergency Assistance Recovery Loans are offering emergency loans of between $5,000 and $50,000 to independently owned local small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. They must have been impacted by COVID-19. Loans range from $5,000 to $50,000.
The San Francisco Hardship Emergency Loan Program (SF HELP) provides loans of up to $50,000 for as long as six years at a zero percent interest rate to for-profit businesses in the city with a total annual revenue of less than $2.5 million. A business must prove it’s experienced a 25 percent loss of revenue since January 1, 2020, have three years remaining on its lease and be dependent on its location. The loans are available through the Main Street Launch in partnership with the City of San Francisco. Small business owners need to complete an online loan application. The COVID-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund offers grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses with fewer than five employees and gross receipts of less than $2.5 million to cover payroll costs and rent. They must demonstrate a revenue loss of at least 25 percent to qualify.
The Women’s Economic Venture’s Quick Response Loan program provides local small businesses impacted by coronavirus with 36 month loans of up to $10,000 at 4.5 percent interest rates. The first payment is deferred for three months.
The Denver Small Business Emergency Relief Program offers cash grants of up to $7,500 to businesses in industries hard hit by COVID-19 such as restaurants, stores and hair stylists. The Denver Microloan Program offers loans of less than $50,000 to city businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The Small Business Emergency Relief Grant Program offers grants of either $5,000 or $10,000 to businesses in Superior to offset the economic impact of the pandemic.
The Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO) has partnered with Connecticut state agencies to provide financial assistance to minority and women-owned small businesses negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the COVID-19 Business Response Program, for-profit small businesses with fewer than 20 employees that have been in operation for six months or more may apply for a zero interest line of credit of up to $20,000. Businesses are required to complete a one page loan application, provide supporting documentation and an estimate of three months of cash flow needs. The purpose of the program is to prevent layoffs so people don’t apply for unemployment insurance.
The state’s H.E.L.P. No-Interest Loans are available for up to $10,000 for hospitality businesses that earn less than $1.5 million a year and have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Payments on the ten year loans can be deferred for nine months.
The district has created a $25 million fund for microgrants of up to $25,000 to small businesses and nonprofits in the District of Columbia negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis. The money can be used for wages, rent and other operating expenses. The program is available to self-employed people and independent contractors.
Under the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, loans of up to $50,000 ($100,000 in certain cases) are available to small businesses with between two and 50 employees that have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis. The loans are meant to serve as short term funding to be repaid once businesses access alternative funding. Loans are interest-free for one year. After that, the interest rate rises to 12 percent. The Rebuild Florida Business Loan Fund is making available $40 million in funds to help businesses impacted by the pandemic.
The Fighting Chance Fund offers grants of up to $5,000 to small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis. They must have fewer than 25 employees and be located in St. Petersburg.
The Fulton County Emergency Loan program is offering four percent interest rate loans of up to $50,000 to businesses in the county (excluding those in Atlanta) that have been impacted by COVID-19. Interest for the first three months is deferred. New applications are not being accepted at this time, but the program could be restarted.
The Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund provides companies outside Chicago with fewer than 50 employees and less than $3 million in revenue with low interest loans of up to $50,000. To qualify, small business owners must complete a loan application and back it up with documentation. The Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program offers businesses with fewer than 50 employees an opportunity to partner with their local governments to obtain working capital grants of up to $25,000.
Small businesses (less than $3 million in revenue and fewer than 50 employees) in the city of Chicago can apply for low-interest loans of up to $50,000 with repayment terms of up to five years as part of the Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund. The loan amount depends on business revenue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. To qualify, businesses must prove a 25 percent drop in revenue and have no current tax liens or legal judgments against them. The University of Chicago South Side Small Business Support program provides grants of up to $7,500 for businesses on Chicago’s south side impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
The COVID-19 Emergency SMALL BUSINESS Forgivable LOAN Program offers companies located within Clark and Floyd counties with fewer than 50 employees, that have been in business for more than two years, loans of up to $10,000. Loans are forgivable if businesses stay open through December 2021.
The Iowa Small Business Relief Program offers grants of between $5,000 and $25,000 to companies impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
The Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) fund provides bridge loans to hospitality businesses with fewer than 100 employees in Kansas. Zero interest rate 36 month loans are available for up to $20,000. The program is currently on hold, but the state is still accepting applications because it expects to secure additional funding.
The Kentucky Business Stimulus Fund offers grants of up to $3,000 to small, locally owned businesses in parts of the state and in industries heavily impacted by the pandemic.
The Louisiana Loan Portfolio Guaranty Program offers loans of up to $100,000 to businesses in the state that have been adversely affected by COVID-19. They must have fewer than 100 employees. The loans come with no interest and no payments due for the first six months. After that, interest rates will be no more than 3.5 percent.
The New Orleans Business Alliance Gig Economy Fund offers grants of up to $1,000 to musicians, drivers and other local gig workers affected by coronavirus. The program is currently closed but could reopen if it receives additional funding.
The FAME Bridge and Direct Loans program offers loans of up to $50,000 to businesses in Maine experiencing hardship because of the pandemic. This is a short-term program that’s no longer available once businesses receive Small Business Administration funding. The Finance Authority of Maine will back 50 to 75 percent of the value of loans made by commercial lenders to state businesses experiencing interruption or hardship due to COVID-19.
Maryland’s Department of Commerce has several initiatives to help small businesses make it through the COVID-19 pandemic. They include a $50 million Emergency Relief Grant Fund. It offers grants of up to $10,000 for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. There is also a $75 million Emergency Relief Loan Fund that provides small businesses with 50 or fewer employees with loans of up to $50,000. These two programs are no longer taking applications, but may in the future. Stay current and find out about other programs at the Maryland OneStop portal.
The state’s Small Business Relief Partnership Grant Program is awarding funds of up to $50,000 to municipalities and regional planning agencies to start — or add to — grant programs for local small companies impacted by the coronavirus. Funds can be used by businesses for expenses related to fixed debt, payroll, tax payments and accounts payable — and to cover sales and opportunities lost because of the pandemic.
The Michigan Small Business Relief Grants program offers grants of up to $10,000 to support small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. They must have fewer than 50 employees. The money can be used to cover payroll, rent, mortgage payments, utilities and other business costs. Michigan Small Business Relief Loans of between $50,000 and $200,000 with 0.25 percent interest rates are available to small businesses that experienced a financial hardship due to the pandemic.
The Detroit Small Business Stabilization Fund offers working capital grants of up to $5,000 to qualifying small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Grant Relief Fund for Detroit Small Businesses provides grants of up to $10,000 to Detroit businesses with fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in annual income. The companies must have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The program is currently on hold but may accept new applications in the future.
The Small Business Relief Loan Fund offers low-interest loans of up to $50,000 to county businesses in low income areas with fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in annual revenue. Businesses must have experienced a pandemic-related loss of revenue greater than 25 percent.
The Small Business Emergency Loan Program offers loans of between $2,500 and $35,000 to cover operating expenses for small businesses in Minnesota that can prove they’ve been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The loans, which are eligible for forgiveness, have five year terms and a zero percent interest rate. The program has exceeded its funding, but could be refunded by the state in the future. The Minnesota Small Business Loan Guarantee Program provides an 80 percent guarantee on loans of up to $200,000 to help lenders supply funding to businesses based in Minnesota with fewer than 250 employees. Loans are available through approved lenders.
The Manchester Small Business Recovery Loan Fund offers loans of $25,000 at a two percent interest rate to small businesses in Manchester that have temporarily closed or lost revenue because of COVID-19. No interest and payments are due for the first three months. The fund starts June 1, 2020 or after stay-at-home orders are lifted, but businesses can apply ahead of time.
The Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program offers low-cost loans of up to $100,000 to small businesses and nonprofits in the state that have been in existence for at least one year and have less than $5 million in annual revenue. Payments are deferred for one year. To qualify, organizations must have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is offering other small business assistance programs. Learn more.
The New Mexico Recovery Fund is offering loans to businesses in New Mexico affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They must have 40 or more employees. Loans are for up to $10 million, come with repayment terms of between two and four years and interest rates ranging from three to ten percent. To qualify, businesses must commit to retaining as many employees as possible and to spending at least 80 percent of the loan money within the state. The COVID-19 Business Loan Guarantee Program guarantees a portion of New Mexico small business loans or lines of credit up to 80 percent of principal or $50,000.
The Ithaca Tompkins County COVID-19 Small Business Resilience Fund offers zero percent interest loans of up to $5,000 for working capital to small businesses in the local area negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The program is closed to new applications but could reopen if it receives additional donations to fund it.
The New York City Small Business Continuity Fund provides interest-free loans of up to $75,000. The demand for the program has been overwhelming and it’s currently on hold. Businesses can still fill out applications to receive information about other local and state programs. Did you know: The ICIC, which supports inner city small business owners, offers a complete array of resources related to the COVID-19 outbreak, including informative webinars, that can help you stay informed about coronavirus assistance programs and more?
The Syracuse Economic Development Corporation offers zero-percent interest, 180-day emergency loans of up to $25,000 to the city’s small businesses.
Rapid Recovery Loans of up to $50,000, or two months revenue, whichever is less, are available to businesses in the state with at least one employee. For six months, the loans have no interest and no payments are required. After that, they’re extended to a four year term with a 5.5 percent interest rate. Like many other programs, funds have been exhausted. However, the state is still accepting applications should the program be refunded.
The One Buncombe Fund provides low interest loans of up to $10,000 to local businesses with fewer than 50 employees. They must have experienced a 25 percent or greater loss of revenue because of the coronavirus. No payments are due for the first six months.
The Oklahoma Bounce Back Assistance Program is available to for-profit companies with an annual payroll of $1.25 million or more. It provides awards of between $50,000 and $150,000 depending on the impact they could have on the state’s economy. The program includes significant restrictions and reporting requirements, but could be worth it for the right business. Time is limited, so apply quickly.
The Tulsa Business Resilience and Recovery Program offers zero interest loans to local small companies with fewer than 50 full time employees. They must be in business at least one year and have experienced a 25 percent or greater reduction in revenue because of COVID-19. Tip: Find your local small business development center (sbdc) on the Small Business Administration website. It is the mission of these organizations to help small business owners to succeed, even through tough times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hillsboro Small Business Emergency Relief Program offers grants to small businesses with fewer than ten employees owned by veterans and minorities. The businesses must be negatively impacted by the coronavirus. Applications are currently on hold but could be reopened for future rounds of funding.
The Jade District-Old Town COVID-19 Small Business Response Fund offers small businesses in Portland’s Jade District or Old Town Chinatown financial assistance. The focus is on Asian and Pacific Islander owned businesses. The Portland Small Business Relief Fund offers grants of up to $10,000 and zero interest loans up to $50,000 to small companies in the city with fewer than 50 employees. The business must have experienced a decline in revenue greater than 25 percent.
The COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program provides three year zero interest loans (with limits) of up to $100,000 with a twelve year amortization schedule. Pennsylvania businesses with fewer than 100 full time employees in the retail, service or agriculture sectors are eligible.
The Montcostrong Small Business Grant Program offers grants of up to $25,000 to small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The money can be used for payroll, rent, utilities or to pay down debt. The program is on hole but considering a new round of funding.
The Business Recovery Loan Program provides local small businesses with 180 day 3.25 percent interest rate notes. They are available through June 30, 2020 and are intended as gap financing while businesses wait for longer-term loans to be approved.
The Utah Leads Together Small Business Bridge Loan program offers zero interest loans of between $5,000 and $20,000 for up to five years. They can be used for working capital. Payments are deferred for up to one year. Small businesses in the state with fewer than 50 employees who can demonstrate revenue losses are able to qualify. The program is accepting applications for possible future funding.
The Arlington Small Business Emergency GRANT (Giving Resiliency Assets Near Term) Program provides businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 50 employees grants of up to $10,000. The business must prove coronavirus related financial losses of greater than 35 percent
The Amazon Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund offers grants to businesses in certain neighborhoods with fewer than 50 employees or less than $7 million in annual revenue. Amazon will determine grant amounts on a case-by-case basis.
The Pierce County Loan Program for Small Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic provides loans of up to $20,000 for small companies located in the county with fewer than ten employees. They must have experienced a 25 percent or greater loss of revenue because of the coronavirus crisis.
The Business Stabilization Fund awards grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses with fewer than five employees. They must have a physical location and have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications for the first round of grants are no longer being accepted, but additional rounds are expected.
The Small Business 20/20 Program provides grants of up to $20,000 to help businesses experiencing cash flow issues caused by COVID-19. Funds must be used for payroll and rent expenses. Program funds are available through a network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Remember: If you don’t see disaster assistance programs for your state or local area on this list, regularly check with your state governor’s website, state department of labor, local chamber of commerce and small business development center. New assistance programs for small business owners are being added all the time. Act quickly because the coronavirus aid packages are getting snapped up at record rates.
