Steps Taken To Improve Relief For Small Businesses

The Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration will take extra steps to provide more relief to small businesses using the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to the SBA.

“The SBA is a frontline agency working to create an inclusive economy, focused on reaching women-owned, minority-owned, low- and moderate-income, rural, and other underserved communities in meaningful ways. While reported data illustrates we have made real strides in ensuring these funds are reaching underserved communities, we believe we can still do better,” said SBA Senior Advisor Michael Roth in a press statement. “The important policy changes we are announcing further ensure inclusivity and integrity by increasing access and much-needed aid to Main Street businesses that anchor our neighborhoods and help families build wealth.”  

According to the press statement, the SBA will:

- Establish a 14-day, exclusive PPP loan application period for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees

- Allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants

- Eliminate an exclusionary restriction on PPP access for small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions, consistent with a bipartisan congressional proposal

- Eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make federal student loan payments by eliminating federal student loan debt delinquency and default as disqualifiers to participating in the PPP

- Ensure access for non-citizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the PPP.

The 14-day exclusivity period started Wednesday while the other four changes will be implemented by the first week of March.