The SBA announced this morning (Jan. 8) that it will open the PPP application process for new borrowers and certain existing borrowers the week of January 11. The loan program was reauthorized under the Economic Aid Act passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in December 2020.
If you already received a PPP loan, the Economic Aid Act allows you to “double-dip,” and apply for additional relief.
If you didn’t apply in 2020 and your business has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, you can apply under rules similar to previous rounds.
In both cases, loan forgiveness guidelines are less onerous than they were in the past.
Congress made other changes that aim to assist businesses and ensure rural, minority-owned, and small companies have access to funds. Publicly-traded companies are no longer eligible, and financially-underserved small businesses will receive a set-aside portion of the overall allocation through nonprofit lenders known as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI). Nonprofits, independent contractors, and sole proprietors are also eligible.
DreamSpring and LiftFund are CDFIs that are authorized to accept PPP applications.