The EDA (Economic Development Agency) received $3 billion from the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan to invest in distressed and underserved communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The funding will be administered through six programs that support infrastructure, innovation, and workforce training:

• Build Back Better Regional Challenge ($1 bil.)

• Good Jobs Challenge ($500 mil.)

• Economic Adjustment Assistance Challenge ($500 mil.)

• Indigenous Communities Challenge ($100 mil.)

• Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Grants ($750 mil.)

• Statewide Planning, Research and Networks Grants ($90 mil.)

The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued two press releases this week that I wanted to bring your attention.

1. SBA created a streamlined PPP Forgiveness Portal for borrowers with individual Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $150,000 or less to submit simple forgiveness applications directly to SBA, as long as your specific lender participates in the program.

2. SBA issued a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) press releasethis week to commemorate an important milestone. As of this week, over $7.5 billion has been awarded to more than 10,000 performing arts organizations, museums, movie theaters, theater producers, and talent representatives across the country.

Despite California leading the nation in vaccinations, with more than 44 million doses administered and 75 percent of the eligible population having received at least one dose, the state is seeing increasing numbers of people who refused to get the vaccine being admitted to the ICU and dying. This increase is heavily due to the Delta variant, which is more contagious and kills people faster.

Today, the SBA released a brand-new set of FAQs dated July 22, 2021, that include important new SVOG policies, including clarifying eligibility criteria, uses of funds as well as overall guidance on processing and appealing decisions. For all SVOG applicants, I encourage you to read these FAQs from top to bottom. Do not rely on the asterisk * to notify you of a new addition because it hasn’t been applied consistently. I will be reviewing these FAQs tonight and I will share my analysis with you and answer your questions tomorrow morning at 11:00am ET during my weekly Office Hours with Nina.

As a result, theater leaders are pressing lawmakers in Sacramento for legislation that would provide aid to help theaters cover the explosion of costs. There are two main initiatives: A one-time $50 million subsidy included in the state budget for struggling small theaters, and another that would set up a state agency to handle the cost of processing the new payroll requirements.

Here’s a roundup of the week’s legislative updates and COVID relief grants impacting the arts.

We are happy to report that applicants for this new grant program will NOT have to be a previous NEA grantee to be eligible to apply. There is a quick turnaround time for submitting applications.

ELIGIBLE applicants with incomplete info will now be asked to update info before possible decline.

The SBA is moving the SVOG program out of the Office of Disaster Assistance and into the Office of Capital Access, which ran the highly successful $800 billion PPP program that concluded on May 31st. Additionally, SBA is integrating experts from the efficiently executed Restaurant Revitalization Fund to work on SVOG, along with other interagency reviewers. Perhaps, most importantly, the new SVOG team leaders are new Biden Administration political appointees, who are committed to cutting through the red tape to achieve fast results.

If universities, such as Yale, Stanford and UCLA, are planning to require returning students to be fully vaccinated, why can’t performing arts venues do the same? This policy would offer audience members some insurance that the stranger crammed into the seat next to them wasn’t a potential petri dish of COVID variants eagerly seeking a crack in their newly erected wall of immunity.

SBA will announce Priority 1 (90% or more gross income loss) round of awards by late May. Priority 2 in mid June and Priority 3 in late June. In order to facilitate receiving the proceeds, SBA will follow the protocols described at www.grants.gov for awardees to request federal funds, submit progress reports, and certify and agree to terms and conditions. As a reminder, unless you also submitted your 2020 tax return, you will not receive the lump sum of your award. You will likely receive your SVOG funds in disbursements of up to 4 payments.

Please continue to encourage your local performing arts organizations, venues, museums, movie theater operators, and talent representatives to apply for an SVOG grant. There are ample funds still available.

“We need to have this moment to reflect,” said Baker, “and artists are who we look to for the meaning, for the hope, for the clarity, for this cohesion, this sense of belonging — this sense of, How do we come out of this?”

In an attempt to respond to scores of complaints about relaunching the SVOG application portal on a Saturday with very little notice, SBA has postponed the relaunch now to Monday, April 26, 2021 @ Noon ET.

The Shuttered Venues Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal opens TOMORROW, April 8, 2021. The SBA updated its FAQs yesterday (look for the asterisk * to see which questions/answers have been modified or added.) Below are some key resources to prepare your SVOG application.

The Shuttered Venues Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal opens TOMORROW, April 8, 2021. The SBA updated its FAQs yesterday (look for the asterisk * to see which questions/answers have been modified or added.) Below are some key resources to prepare your SVOG application.