ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) region IV Regional Administrator Ashley Bell is encouraging businesses and non-profit organizations affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding on April 12, 2020 in Mississippi to submit a completed SBA disaster loan application to get the help they need. Mississippi’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)s are ready to help businesses complete their disaster loan applications.
The SBA’s low-interest disaster loan program is the primary source of federal funds for long-term recovery for uninsured damages caused by a declared disaster. “We are coordinating efforts with our SBA resource partners along with federal, state and local stakeholders in the declared disaster area to ensure those affected can get back to where they were before the disaster struck,” said Bell. “The SBDC network in Mississippi is reaching out to local businesses to make sure they have access to the resources needed to help them recover from the disaster,” said Sharon Nichols, state director for the Mississippi SBDCs.
The Mississippi SBDCs have been serving Mississippi entrepreneurs and small businesses since 1981. The SBDC network of eight full time centers are staffed with experienced business counselors who provide a variety of no-cost business workshops, technical assistance and one-on-one business counseling designed to accelerate and grow Mississippi’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Business counselors from the SBDC network are available to assist businesses in completing their disaster loan applications at no cost. For more information visit www.mssbdc.org or call 1-800-725-7232.
The disaster declaration covers Clarke, Covington, Grenada, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lawrence, Panola and Walthall counties in Mississippi which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Calhoun, Carroll, Copiah, Forrest, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Leflore, Lincoln, Marion, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Pike, Quitman, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Wayne, Webster and Yalobusha in Mississippi; Choctaw in Alabama; and Washington parish in Louisiana.
In accordance with health precautions for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the SBA will not establish a field presence to assist survivors. However, SBA will continue to provide first class customer service and conduct outreach virtually with webinars, skype calls, phone assistance and step-by-step application assistance. As a result, SBA has opened a Virtual Business Recovery Center (VBRC) to help survivors apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ and there are virtual customer support representatives available to assist applicants with completing the online application. The VBRC information:
Virtual Business Recovery Center (VBRC)
Open: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (CT)
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
Email: FOCE-Help@sba.gov.
Phone: 404-331-0333, Extension 2123
These services are only available for the Mississippi disaster declaration as a result of the Severe Storms, Tornadoes Straight-line Winds and Flooding on April 12, 2020, and not for COVID-19 related assistance.
Survivors should contact the SBA Customer Service Representative at 404-331-0333 Extensions 2123 to schedule an appointment for immediate one-on-one assistance in completing their applications. Requests for SBA disaster loan program information may be obtained by emailing FOCE-Help@sba.gov. The SBA will conduct extensive outreach to ensure that all impacted by the disaster are afforded the opportunity to seek assistance.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/.
Additional details on the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov.
The filing deadline to return the low interest loan applications for physical damages is June 15, 2020 and for Economic Injury is Jan. 19, 2021.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.