The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) has enhanced the process of applying for economic relief for operators of live venues, live performing arts organizations, museums and movie theaters, as well as live venue promoters, theatrical producers and talent representatives. The agency is relaunching its Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal (SVOG) on Saturday, April 24, at 12.30 p.m. following the resolution of some technical issues encountered during its initial launch on April 8.

 

Barb Carson is deputy associate administrator of SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance and said the agency recognizes the urgency and need to get the program up and running. “With venue operators in danger of closing, every day that passes by is a day that these businesses cannot afford,” she said. “We remain dedicated to delivering emergency aid as quickly as possible and will begin reviewing the applications on Saturday as they are submitted.”

 

While working with vendors to fix the issues that occurred with the April 8 initial opening of the portal, the SBA also identified and resolved some other concerns at the same time, and has since enhanced the applicant experience. The following updates have been made:

• Clarifying and making program documentation more user-friendly;
• Improving application portal security mechanisms;
• Adding an industry-standard waiting room technology to address the high interest in the program and provide an orderly application process for fair and smooth performance; and
• Updating application features, including: a new revenue chart, the ability to upload multiple attachments, and an improved application flow to match the eligible entity types and their respective required documentation.

 

The SBA recommends eligible applicants take the following actions:

• Register on the portal in advance. Applicants will need a smartphone and a multi-factor authenticator app to register and apply;
• Review the SVOG Frequently Asked Questions and Applicant User Guide; and
• Prepare required documentation, per the Application Checklist.

 

The SVOG program was allocated more than $16.2 billion to provide grants to impacted entities via the “Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act” and the American Rescue Plan Act. Of these funds, at least $2 billion is reserved for eligible SVOG applicants with up to 50 full-time employees. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45 percent of their gross earned revenue, up to a maximum amount of $10 million for a single grant.

 

The SBA is accepting SVOG applications on a first-in, first-out basis and will then rank applicants into priority periods. The first 14 days of the awarded grants, which are expected to be disbursed in mid-May, will be dedicated to entities that suffered a 90 percent or greater revenue loss between April and December 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second 14 days (days 15-28) will be dedicated to entities that suffered a 70 percent or greater revenue loss between April and December 2020.

 

Following those periods, grants will later be awarded to those entities that suffered a 25 percent or greater revenue loss between one quarter of 2019 and the corresponding quarter of 2020.

 

SBA’s resource partners, including SCORE business mentors, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and Veterans Business Outreach Centers, are available to provide entities with individual guidance on their applications. Federal grant program guidelines require that the same information be provided to each applicant. SBA’s team members are limited in terms of the responses they can provide to individual, specific questions regarding SVOG eligibility, potential grant amounts, or other detailed information.

 

For more information and to view applicant resources, visit www.sba.gov/svogrant. For technical assistance with the portal, such as a password reset, browser suggestions, or how to use the multi-factor authentication with an app and the QR code, applicants can call 1-800-659-2955. The deaf and hard-of-hearing should call 1-800-877-8339 and follow the prompts for SVOG assistance. The call center will be open 24 hours a day starting Saturday, April 24, at 12.30 p.m. through Monday evening at 8 p.m.