Aid & Assistance For Businesses

The following are resources that provide helpful information you may need to navigate the current situation. Please visit our Guidance Documents page for FAQs, white papers, etc.

SBA Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources

• The 100 most active SBA 7(a) lenders | VIEW​

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SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans

• On June 15, SBA began accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance applications from qualified small businesses and U.S. agricultural businesses.
• Program Details

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

• *NEW* PPP Application (revised 6/12/2020)  | DOWNLOAD
• Additional Documents:
  • ​PPP payroll calculators for loan application (Excel spreadsheets)
    • PPP Loan Calculator 1 — Non-seasonal & In business 2/15/19-6/30/19 (will apply to most businesses that operated in 2019) 
    • PPP Loan Calculator 2 — Non-seasonal & NOT in business 2/15/19-6/30/19 (will apply to new businesses)
    • PPP Loan Calculator 3 — Seasonal business (will apply to businesses that don't operate year-round)
  • The PPP provides three scenarios for calculating maximum loan amounts depending on how long the business has been in operation and whether it’s seasonal. 
• For Guidance on PPP, please visit our Business Guidance Documents page. 

PA Small Business Assistance Grants 
​The COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Grants application will reopen for a second, and final round, on August 10. It will remain open until August 28. These applications must be made through a CDFI. If you applied after the round 1 window closed, you do not need to reapply. All qualified applications will be rolled into this second round. This program IS NOT first-come, first-served. Additional information about the program can be found on DCED’s website. 

PA Community Block Grants 
Under this program, $625 million was made available to Pennsylvania counties in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding in the form of block grants administered by DCED. This funding may be used to offset the cost of direct county COVID-19 response, assist municipalities with COVID-19 response and planning efforts, fund nonprofit assistance programs, and deploy broadband to unserved or underserved areas. View Guidelines, applications, and eligible counties.

PIDA Loans

• COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program administered by Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) and provides working capital to small businesses. Applications must be submitted through a Certified Economic Development Organizations.
  • Maximum loan amount is $100,000.
  • Business has 100 or fewer full-time employees.
  • $60 million is available.

PA 30 Day Fund
The Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund – a non-profit with the simple mission of saving as many of Pennsylvania’s small businesses as possible – is now accepting applications for a forgivable loan of $3,000. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to qualify:

1. They must own a small business that employs between 3 and 30 people
2. They must be based in Pennsylvania and be operating for at least a year.
3. They must be owned and operated by a Pennsylvania resident.
4. They must operate as a for-profit business.

Apply for a PA 30 Day Fund grant.

Pennsylvania Shared-Work Program
This program is through the Unemployment Compensation Office which allows an employer to temporarily reduce the work hours of a group of employees and divide the available hours equaling rather than laying off any employees.

Tax Relief

• Deadline to file and pay federal income taxes are extended to July 15, 2020.
• COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for FFCRA Leave FAQs (IRS)
• Businesses that remit AST prepayments will not have to make those prepayments in April, May, or June. The Pa. Department of Revenue has asked businesses to only remit via e-tides the sales tax they collected for the prior month.
  • Revenue Department FAQs site
  • Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Forms

Unemployment Compensation Office
Resources and information regarding UC benefits. Prepare now so if you or your employees need to file, your application(s) can be processed quickly.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation - Save Small Business Fund
The Save Small Business Fund is a grantmaking initiative offering short-term relief for small employers in the United States and its territories.  Applications opened on April 20. Learn more about eligibility.

Local Aid & Resources

Chester County
The Chester County Economic Development Council have announced a second round of Main Street funding. The program is for businesses and locations that had 2019 revenue of $5 million or less. The application opens on Thursday, December 17 at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. on December 23. All applications received within the window will be reviewed and considered equally. Please visit the website for eligibility, application instructions, and more.  

Erie County
Erie County is deploying $875,000 in emergency grant funding for qualifying businesses that had to close their operations as a result of Gov. Wolf's Dec. 10 mitigation order. The application period runs from 8 a.m. on December 16 through 11:59 p.m. on December 22. It's a first-come, first-served program. Please visit the website for eligibility and application instructions.  

Philadelphia

• Philadelphia COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund: Providing some small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with immediate relief through a mix of grants and loans. Matrix of Eligibility
• City of Philadelphia extends property, business tax deadlines to July 15.
• Save Philly's Restaurants: Join the movement to aid Philadelphia restaurants and their employees.

Bucks County

• Bucks Back to Work Small Business Grant Program: Applications will only be accepted on Tuesday, May 26. 

Western Pennsylvania

COVID-19 Response Fund for Western PA  
The loan program is designed to help businesses under 50 employees that are experiencing negative economic impacts in industries hit hard by the public health crisis. This fund is for small businesses in the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Fayette, Indiana, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Washington, and Westmoreland.
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COVID-19 Response Fund for Erie County 
The Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) and Bridgeway have teamed up to provide patient loan capital to small businesses and nonprofits.