Resources For Business Owners & Managers During COVID-19

MA Four Phase Approach to Reopening

General Business Guidance

Information to help businesses meet the self-certification requirement to reopen. All businesses must meet these requirements before reopening. 

Phase 4, Step 1 (Effective March 22)

• Indoor and outdoor stadiums, arenas and ballparks will reopen with a 12% capacity limit
• Overnight Camps will be allowed to open for Summer 2021
• Exhibition and Convention Halls may reopen, subject to gathering limits and event rules
• Dance floors may open at weddings and events only
• Updated gathering limits
• Travel Advisory in place of the Travel Order

See here for more details.

Resources for Retailers and Employers to Keep Employees, Customers and Community Safe

• Cleaning Services & Protective Materials for Safe Business Operations
• Executive Office of Housing and Development Letter to Employers
• MA Department of Labor Standards Retail Advisory

Small Business Assistance – Funding For Your Business

Small Business Assistance Grants: Athol, Phillipston, Templeton, Winchendon

Small business assistance grant funds of up to $10,000 are now available to businesses located in Athol, Phillipston, Templeton and Winchendon to assist with the impacts of COVID-19. Visit https://newvuecommunities.org/aptwmap/ to learn more about program guidelines and to obtain an application or contact Bill Brassard at NewVue Communities at 978- 288-0180, bbrassard@nvcomm.org

Gardner Small Business Assistant Grant Program

Federal CARES Act – Paycheck Protection Program

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced today that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. See more information here. 

Please direct all questions to the MA Districts Office at MassachusettsDO@sba.gov or 617-565-5590.

Targeted SBA EIDL Loan Advance Funds

Advance funds of up to $10,000 will be available to applicants located in low-income communities who previously received an EIDL Advance for less than $10,000, or those who applied, but received no funds due to lack of available program funding.

Applicants do not need to take any action at this time. The SBA will first reach out to EIDL applicants that already received a partial EIDL Advance (between $1,000 – $9,000). The SBA will contact applicants directly via email in the coming weeks with instructions to determine eligibility and submit documentation. All communications from the SBA will be sent from an official government email with an @sba.gov address. Please do not send sensitive information via email to any address that does not end in @sba.gov.

Learn More About Eligibility

Frequently Asked Questions about the Targeted EIDL Advance

Economic Injury Disaster Loan program / Emergency Economic Injury Grant ($10,000 Forgivable Advance)

IMPORTANT NOTICE – LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS: SBA is unable to accept new applications at this time for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)-COVID-19 related assistance program (including EIDL Advances) based on available appropriations funding. Applicants who have already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the EIDL program, please visit here. 

Please direct all questions to the MA Districts Office at MassachusettsDO@sba.gov or 617-565-5590.

SBA Express Bridge Loans – Gap Funding

Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program allows small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing and can be a term loans or used to bridge the gap while applying for a direct SBA Economic Injury Disaster loan. If a small business has an urgent need for cash while waiting for decision and disbursement on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, they may qualify for an SBA Express Disaster Bridge Loan. Read here for more information.

Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program Guide. Contact lender relations team with questions at MassachusettsDO@sba.gov or 617-565-5590 or visit sba.gov. For SBA Approved Express Lenders see: SBA MA Lender List (organized by region).

Additional Resources:

PDF: Economic Injury Disaster Loan STEP-BY-STEP Application Overview

RECORDED WEBINAR: SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Overview

Handout: SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus

SBA Debt Relief

As part of SBA’s debt relief efforts:

• The SBA will automatically pay the principal, interest, and fees of current 7(a), 504, and microloans for a period of six months.
• The SBA will also automatically pay the principal, interest, and fees of new 7(a), 504, and microloans issued prior to September 27, 2020.

For additional debt relief measures, see here.

If you have questions about your current loan and whether or not your loan is automatically deferred, please contact your Loan Servicing Office directly using the following information: Birmingham Disaster Loan Servicing Center (800-736-6048, BirminghamDLSC@sba.gov), El Paso Disaster Loan Servicing Center (800-487-6019, ElPasoDLSC@sba.gov)

Emergency Microloan Program

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation has launched an Emergency Micro-loan Program to assist small businesses in need of funding due to hardship stemming from COVID-19. Loans of up to $20,000 will be awarded to qualifying local businesses. Click here for more information or visit choosenorthcental.com/lending

Tax Relief for Small Businesses

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced administrative tax relief measures for small local businesses which have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, especially in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. This tax relief includes postponing the collection of regular sales tax, meals tax, and room occupancy taxes that would be due in March, April and May so that they will instead be due on June 20. Additionally, all penalties and interest that would otherwise apply will be waived.

Businesses that paid less than $150,000 in regular sales plus meals taxes in the year ending February 29, 2020 will be eligible for relief for sales and meals taxes, and business that paid less than $150,000 in room occupancy taxes in the year ending February 29, 2020 will be eligible for relief with respect to room occupancy taxes. For the full press release, click here. For list of filing and payment extensions and penalty relief, visit mass.gov. Also find information on tax or debt resolutions. 

Federal Tax Relief Provisions (further details found at mass.gov)

The Employee Retention Tax Credit is a tax credit against federal tax liability that can benefit almost any employer (regardless of size and including tax-exempt organizations) whose business has been either fully or partially suspended by government orders due to COVID-19, or whose revenues have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Payroll Tax Deferral is another tax provision that can make a difference for employers. The CARES Act allows eligible employers to defer payment of part of their payroll taxes (which they would normally remit on a bi-weekly or monthly basis) to two larger payments; half due on December 31, 2021 and half due on December 31, 2022.

State Tax Relief Measures

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) is actively monitoring the latest developments regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus. Please visit their COVID-19 Coronavirus Response Update page for the latest on filing and payment extensions and penalty relief, tax or debt resolutions, communicating with DOR, and more.

Unemployment Assistance

MA Governor Charlie Baker has filed legislation to sustain unemployment benefits and provide an estimated $1.3 billion in unemployment insurance relief to the Commonwealth’s employers over two years. See press release for more information.

For further information, visit https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-and-unemployment-what-you-need-to-know. 

MassHire North Central Career Center Update

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, The MassHire North Central Career Center office will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Virtual services will be provided to customers. If you are seeking Unemployment Insurance Service please file your claim at www.mass.gov/DUA or contact the DUA call center at 1-877-626-6800. Please be aware that you may experience significant wait times on the toll free line. If you have a deadline to attain your RESEA requirement, staff will be reaching out to you to ensure that your unemployment benefits will not be impacted by these changes. 

For employers who are impacted by COVID-19, please visit mass.gov for updated information on how to proceed with claims and information that can help you navigate this unusual situation.