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COVID-era programs

Access information on SBA’s pandemic-era programs.

COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (COVID-19 EIDL)

The COVID-19 EIDL program provided loans and advances to help businesses recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic.

Learn about COVID-19 EIDL

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

This SBA loan program helped businesses keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 crisis.

Learn about PPP

COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (COVID-19 EIDL)

Create an account or sign into SBA’s loan portal to monitor the status of your COVID-19 EIDL, make payments, and request servicing actions. For account support, contact us via email at cls@sba.gov.

SBA offers programs to help small businesses handle short-term financial difficulties. SBA allows eligible COVID-EIDL borrowers to reduce their payments by 50% for six months. To apply, borrowers can request this help through SBA’s loan portal. Eligible borrowers can take advantage of this program once every five years.

At this time, all eligible COVID EIDL loans can apply for payment assistance through the SBA Loan Portal. 

For loans initially approved exceeding $200,000, SBA is working diligently to give you the ability to request help through SBA’s loan portal. Until then, if you need assistance with a larger loan, please email your request to COVIDEIDLServicing@sba.gov.

Eligibility:

  • Loan must be less than 90 days past due at the time of the request
  • Loan must be in current status
  • The business must be actively open and operating
  • The borrower and all owners must not be subject to active bankruptcy proceedings
  • Requesting due to a temporary financial difficulty or cash flow issue rather than a long-term challenge

Please note:

  • If you are currently participating in payment assistance, you will continue in the program for the duration of your current enrollment period
    • After this period is complete, you are required to resume full payments
  • The following actions are required by law:
    • Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Service Offset Program (TOP): If you fail to make payments under SBA’s payment assistance or on their regular loan, your account may be referred to TOP after reaching 120 days of delinquency.
    • Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Service Cross-Servicing Program (CSP): Loans that meet specific delinquency eligibility requirements will also be transferred to the CSP. Once referred to CSP, these loans are no longer serviced by the SBA. The SBA will not be able to assist you, and you must contact the Treasury Bureau directly at 800-289-7388.
  • If your loan is currently in charged-off or uncollectible status, but not yet been referred to Treasury cross-servicing, and you wish to restore it to good standing, please
  • If the payment assistance is approved, interest is not waived during your six-month reduced payment period, and interest will continue to accrue on the outstanding loan balance
    • This will result in an increased balloon payment at the end of our loan term

For assistance with locating a Resource Partner to help review your business plan, access capital, or address other counseling services, contact your local District Office or search to see what is available in your area.

If you need to make a change to your COVID-19 EIDL, such as requesting a change in ownership or release of collateral, SBA has clear instructions to help you through the process. This is called a servicing action.

Each type of change (or servicing action) has specific steps and paperwork you’ll need to submit to SBA. Before you send in your request, make sure to read the correct servicing action requirements letter below so you know exactly what’s needed. Taking the time to send a complete and accurate request will help avoid process delays. Find your forms.

After you’ve gathered everything, email your completed servicing action request to COVIDEIDLServicing@sba.gov.

Servicing action requirement letters

For guidance on an anticipated business closure or liquidation, please send a message through SBA’s Loan Portal or contact the COVID EIDL Servicing Center at COVIDEIDLServicing@sba.gov.

Audit requirements for non-profit borrowers

If you are a non-profit COVID-19 EIDL borrower that expended $750,000 or more in loan funds (and expenditures from other Federal awards) in a single year, you are subject to requirements under the Single Audit Act. Because there are no continuing compliance requirements, these audit requirements only apply in the year that the loan funds are spent. For more information on Single Audit Act requirements, please review 2 CFR 200, Subpart F or consult an accountant.

EIDL Advances are not subject to requirements under the Single Audit Act.

For specific assistance with existing COVID EIDL loans, email CESC@sba.gov or send a message through the SBA Loan Portal.
When emailing SBA, remember to always include your loan number as well as a reason for the request in the email subject line. In the body of the email, include your loan number, reason for request, business name, applicant name and contact information.

SBA Loan Portal Technical Assistance:  Please contact SBA Loan Portal Customer Service at cls@sba.gov.  SBA Loan Portal Customer Service cannot access your individual loan information.

Targeted EIDL Advance Assistance: Please email TargetedAdvance@sba.gov for help with Targeted EIDL Advance.

Payments: Please be advised that we no longer accept paper checks, effective October 1, 2025, and mailed paper payments via your financial institution’s bill pay service will be returned.  We only accept electronic payments made through our SBA Loan Portal website or by phone at 833-853-5638 (TTY:711), or see payment instructions.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

PPP loan forgiveness

Effective March 13, 2024, all borrowers, regardless of loan size, can use SBA’s direct forgiveness portal. Applying for forgiveness using the portal can take as little as 15 minutes, and correspond to those asked on the SBA PPP forgiveness forms. 

If you would prefer to work with your lender, lenders can still accept PPP forgiveness applications directly. Reach out to your lender for assistance.

  • Borrowers can apply once they’ve used all the loan proceeds they’re requesting forgiveness for.
  • Borrowers can apply for forgiveness any time up to five years from the date that SBA issued the SBA loan number.
  • If borrowers do not apply for forgiveness within 10 months after the last day of the covered period, then PPP loan payments are no longer deferred, and borrowers will begin making loan payments to their PPP lender.

Borrowers who have not complied with these conditions will be in default of their PPP loan and will be referred to Treasury for offset or cross servicing. 

Each forgiveness form has unique instructions for documentation that must be submitted with your loan forgiveness application.

Loan amountSBA formGeneral information
Loans of $150,000 and belowSBA form 3508S PPP Loan Forgiveness Application + InstructionsSBA Form 3508S does not require borrowers to provide additional documentation upon forgiveness submission, but borrowers should be prepared to provide relevant documentation if requested as part of the loan review or audit processes.
Loans over $150,000SBA form 3508 PPP Loan Forgiveness Application + Instructions

SBA form 3508EZ PPP Loan Forgiveness Application + Instructions		SBA Form 3508 and SBA Form 3508EZ do require a borrower to provide additional documentation upon forgiveness submission. 
In the instructions for each form, see the section titled “Documents that Each Borrower Must Submit with its PPP Loan Forgiveness Application” for additional details.

First Draw PPP loan

The PPP ended on May 31, 2021. Existing borrowers may be eligible for PPP loan forgiveness.

PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll. First Draw PPP loans can be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits, and may also be used to pay for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations.

SBA will forgive loans if all employee retention criteria are met, and the funds are used for eligible expenses.

  • PPP loans have an interest rate of 1%.
  • Loans issued prior to June 5, 2020, have a maturity of two years. Loans issued after June 5, 2020, have a maturity of five years.
  • Loan payments will be deferred for borrowers who apply for loan forgiveness until SBA remits the borrower’s loan forgiveness amount to the lender. If a borrower does not apply for loan forgiveness, payments are deferred 10 months after the end of the covered period for the borrower’s loan forgiveness (between 8 and 24 weeks).
  • No collateral or personal guarantees are required.
  • Neither the government nor lenders will charge small businesses any fees.
Who may qualify

The following entities affected by COVID-19 may be eligible:

  • Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed persons
  • Any small business concern that meets SBA’s size standards (either the industry size standard or the alternative size standard)
  • Any business, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, 501(c)(19) veterans organization, or tribal business concern (sec. 31(b)(2)(C) of the Small Business Act) with the greater of:
    • 500 employees, or
    • That meets the SBA industry size standard if more than 500
  • Any business with a NAICS code that begins with 72 (Accommodations and Food Services) that has more than one physical location and employs less than 500 per location

All new First Draw PPP loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or borrower.

If you wish to begin preparing your application, download the following PPP borrower application form to see the information that will be requested from you when you apply with a lender:

Supplemental materials

Affiliation rules

Existing PPP borrowers that did not receive loan forgiveness by December 27, 2020, may:

  • Reapply for a First Draw PPP loan if they previously returned some or all of their First Draw PPP loan funds, or
  • Under certain circumstances, request to modify their First Draw PPP loan amount if they previously did not accept the full amount for which they are eligible

Lenders typically decide when to submit individual PPP loan applications to SBA. Therefore, any questions or concerns regarding individual PPP loan applications must be directed to your lender.

Borrowers who have had their application submitted to SBA by their lender can create an account in the SBA Capital Access Financial System (CAFS) to monitor their loan status. Get account enrollment instructions.

If you are unsure about your PPP loan status, or if your PPP loan application has been flagged due to data anomalies, please contact your lender to get more information.

Second Draw PPP loan

The PPP ended on May 31, 2021. Existing borrowers may be eligible for PPP loan forgiveness.

PPP now allows certain eligible borrowers that previously received a PPP loan to apply for a Second Draw PPP loan with the same general loan terms as their First Draw PPP loan. 

Second Draw PPP loans can be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations.

Maximum loan amount and increased assistance for accommodation and food services businesses

For most borrowers, the maximum loan amount of a Second Draw PPP loan is 2.5x the average monthly 2019 or 2020 payroll costs up to $2 million. For borrowers in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (use NAICS 72 to confirm), the maximum loan amount for a Second Draw PPP loan is 3.5x the average monthly 2019 or 2020 payroll costs up to $2 million.

Who may qualify

A borrower is generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP loan if the borrower:

  • Previously received a First Draw PPP loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses,
  • Has no more than 300 employees, and
  • Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.

All Second Draw PPP Loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or borrower. 

If you wish to begin preparing your application, you can download the following PPP borrower application form to see the information that will be requested from you when you apply with a lender:

Supplemental materials
Affiliation rules

Lenders typically decide when to submit individual PPP loan applications to SBA. Therefore, any questions or concerns regarding individual PPP loan applications must be directed to your lender.

Borrowers who have had their application submitted to SBA by their lender can create an account in the SBA Capital Access Financial System (CAFS) to monitor their loan status. Get account enrollment instructions.

If you are unsure about your PPP loan status, or if your PPP loan application has been flagged due to data anomalies, please contact your lender to get more information.

Get help with your PPP loan

SBA has 68 District Offices around the country that provide guidance and assistance to small businesses in their area. We also work with a number of local organizations to counsel, mentor, and train small businesses through our official Resource Partners: SCORE mentors, Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers.

Use SBA’s local assistance directory to locate the SBA District Office or Resource Partner service location nearest you.

Lenders typically decide when to submit individual PPP loan applications to SBA. Therefore, any questions or concerns regarding individual PPP loan applications must be directed to your lender.

If you are unsure about your PPP loan status, or if your PPP loan application has been flagged due to data anomalies, please contact your lender to get more information.

Create an account in the SBA Loan Portal to monitor your PPP loan status.

Payments can only be made using the SBA Loan Portal for SBA-purchased PPP loans.  All others can continue to set up and manage online payments at Pay.gov.

PPP lender information

SBA is working to streamline the PPP forgiveness application process. Beginning in March 2024, all borrowers applying for forgiveness can use SBA’s Direct Forgiveness Portal (DFP). This will ensure a more accessible process for borrowers, no matter loan size. 

All lenders will be required to decision forgiveness applications received through the portal. Lenders who have an established internal process may continue to use it. However, they must also accept DFP applications. When a borrower submits an application their PPP lender will get a notice.

SBA has issued the following Interim Final Rules related to PPP:

2024
2021
2020

Frequently Asked Questions
Letters from the SBA Administrator
Lender notices
Borrower forms
Applications
Disclosures
Loan necessity questionnaires

For borrowers that, together with their affiliates, received PPP loans with an original principal amount of $2 million or greater:

Lender forms

SBA and Treasury will consider applications for participation as PPP lenders from community development financial institutions and minority-, women-, veteran-, and military-owned lenders based on factors including those described on SBA Form 3507. Such factors include cases in which the lender does not meet all of the requirements listed on that form.

Among other criteria, SBA and Treasury will give strong consideration to the types of financial services provided by the lender; the lender’s compliance programs, including those related to Bank Secrecy Act; and the number and dollar amount of small business loans originated and serviced by the lender in a 12-month period over the past 36 months.

SBA and Treasury will also consider board membership composition as a proxy for ownership and control when determining the minority-, women-, veteran-, and military-owned status of non-profit lenders.

PPP data

SBA is working to ensure fair and equitable access to its programs and will soon provide additional reporting on how the Agency is working to meet these goals. Demographic information is provided voluntarily by borrowers to their lenders.

Download all PPP loan data in CSV format.