Deadline for Exclusive Enrollment Period—March 9, 2021, 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
To reach small businesses, such as family- and center-based child care providers, President Biden announced an exclusive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application period for loans to businesses with fewer than 20 employees and to sole proprietors. Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time [EST]), is the deadline for the small business-only applications. The deadline for all PPP applications is March 31, 2021. As a reminder, PPP is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) forgivable loan program to help very small businesses, such as child care programs, with much-needed financial support during these unprecedented times.
This 14-day exclusive SBA PPP loan application period for small businesses gives lenders and community partners more time to work with the smallest businesses to submit their applications. SBA announced additional changes to open the PPP to more underserved small businesses than ever before. These changes include the following:
- Allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants.
- Eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make student loan payments by eliminating student loan debt delinquency as a disqualifier to participating in the PPP.
- Ensure access for noncitizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to apply for the PPP.
To find a lender in your area click on this Web link. For questions regarding PPP loan applications, please visit this SBA webpage.
For more information about the PPP and other financial business supports, please visit the Office of Child Care’s (OCC) webpage, Early Care and Education Providers: Taking Advantage of the New Small Business Administration Loan and Grant Programs, which includes the following information:
· Two national webinar videos to help you understand and access the PPP—one video for family child care (FCC) educators and one video for early care and education (ECE) programs
· Several resources for small businesses to help FCC educators and ECE programs learn more about the PPP and navigate the challenges created by the pandemic.
Applications for a PPP loan are due no later than March 31, 2021, for all businesses, but program funding may run out before then. Be sure to take advantage of the small business-only application period ending on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. (EST).