The Small Business Administration opened a long-awaited aid program Thursday for music venues, performing arts groups, nightclubs, movie theaters and museums to provide them with money during the pandemic. But it didn't stay open for long.
Unfortunately, the portal quickly ran into technical issues soon after opening on Thursday afternoon at noon Eastern time, and the SBA had to suspend operations. The SBA said it would share advance notice of the time and date before reopening the portal so all applicants could be prepared and to allow equal access.
"Due to technical difficulties, SBA has temporarily suspended the SVOG application portal," said the SBA. "SBA is working closely with the portal vendors to reopen as soon as possible. SBA will share advance notice of the time and date before the reopening so all applicants can be prepared and to ensure equitable access."
The SBA advised applicants to watch its
The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was passed by Congress in December as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, giving up to $16.2 billion in aid to operators of live venues, live performing arts organizations, museums and movie theatres, along with live venue promoters, theatrical producers and talent representatives. At least $2 billion of the funds are reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. Eligible applicants can qualify for grants equal to 45 percent of their gross earned revenue up to a maximum of $10 million for a single grant.
The SBA officially opened
Live performance venues, as well as movie theaters and museums, were hard hit by the pandemic, which forced them to close across the country last year. Even though Congress approved the program last December, the timeline has been repeatedly delayed for providing the funds. The SBA said it would start providing the money by the end of this month. But venues will need to apply quickly since funds will be disbursed on a “first-in, first-out basis.”
“Concerts, plays, dance performances, movie premieres, museum exhibits — these are the lifeblood of culture and community, and often the anchor for travel, tourism and neighborhood food and retail stores,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman in a statement. “We know that for the stage and venue operators across the nation that help make this culture happen, the pandemic has been devastating. Too many have been forced to lower the final curtain on their businesses. ... The SBA is committed to moving as quickly as possible to deliver this vital funding effectively and equitably — ensuring relief goes to those venue operators whose revenues have been most impacted by the pandemic.”
The SBA will be allocating the funds to applicants in successive priority periods as it receives applications. The first 14 days of SVOG awards, which are expected to start in late April, will go to organizations that suffered a revenue loss of 90 percent or more between April and December 2020 due to the pandemic. The second 14 days will include entities that suffered a revenue loss of 70 percent or more between April and December 2020. After those periods, the awards will go to entities that suffered a revenue loss of 25 percent or more between one quarter of 2019 and the corresponding quarter of 2020.
The SBA hosted a
