Pandemic

SBA: $100 Million Community Navigator Pilot Program Launched to Support Underserved Small Businesses

$100 million competitive grant program to strengthen outreach to businesses in underserved communities enacted through the American Rescue Plan The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it is accepting applications for its new Community Navigator Pilot Program. This new initiative, established by the American Rescue Plan, will leverage a community navigator approach to reach our nation’s smallest businesses, with a…

EDA: $3.8 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance Invested to Support Tourism and Economic Recovery Efforts in Kentucky

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $3.8 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to help the state of Kentucky prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. “President Biden remains steadfast in his commitment to providing local communities with the resources necessary…

EDA: $2.7 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance Invested to Support Regional Economic Growth in Hawaii

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.7 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, to strengthen, expand, and scale its work supporting entrepreneurship and job creation. This EDA grant will be matched with $813,068 in local…

EDA: $2.5 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance Invested to Renovate Northwest Medical Center in Winfield, AL

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.5 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to Healthcare Authority of Winfield, Winfield, Alabama, to renovate Northwest Medical Center. This EDA grant, matched by $1.5 million in local funds, is expected to generate nearly $2 million…

SBA: “Getting Bank on Track: Help Is Here” Webinar Series Launched to Help America’s Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the non-profit Public Private Strategies Institute will launch a new regional webinar series, “Getting Back on Track: Help is Here,” to provide Main Street entrepreneurs with the information and resources they need to continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The educational webinars will feature speakers from The White House, the SBA,…

Census Bureau: Household Pulse Survey Phase 3.1 Biweekly Data Released

The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from phase 3.1 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey. Phase 3.1 includes substantial revisions to the questionnaire. Additional questions address the following new topics: disability, child health access, telehealth and child care. Also included are demographic questions to identify service members and military spouses, and questions to classify respondents employed…

SBA: Last Call for Restaurant Revitalization Fund Applications

Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced that eligible eating establishments have until Monday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET, to submit applications to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. “If our nation’s food and beverage industry is going to fully recover, we must ensure as many of the hardest-hit businesses get the economic aid they need,” said Administrator Guzman….

OCC: Report Examines Key Risks, Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Federal Banking System

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today reported the key issues facing the federal banking system and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the federal banking industry in its Semiannual Risk Perspective for Spring 2021.  Banks maintained sound capital and liquidity levels but profitability remains stressed due to low interest rates and…

FEMA: Operational Guidance for Disaster Response and Recovery in Pandemic Environment Announced

For the second year in a row, FEMA is prepared to respond to disasters as the nation continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  FEMA released the “COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance: All-Hazards Incident Response and Recovery,” a document aimed at helping emergency managers plan for disaster response and recovery, while adhering to public health guidelines…

Census Bureau: Small Business Pulse Survey Phase 5 Begins

The U.S. Census Bureau today announced the beginning of data collection for Phase 5 of the Small Business Pulse Survey (SBPS). This experimental survey was designed to measure temporal economic trends in the nation’s small businesses and provide insight into the scope of impact of the pandemic response in the United States. No significant changes were made…