ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it has extended the incident periods and the filing deadlines under the current drought declarations (#18014, #18019, #18037, #18058, #18085, #18135, #18166, #18168, and #18231) in Wisconsin to July 31, 2024. Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations impacted by drought conditions in the declared counties are eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
“As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to aiding communities in times of crisis and making sure small businesses receive vital assistance, the U.S. Small Business Administration is supporting the State of Wisconsin by extending application deadlines for businesses requiring financial assistance,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “This extension offers businesses greater opportunities to secure low interest working capital loans to support their recovery by helping them meet financial obligations.”
These loans are available in Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond Du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Menominee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Saint Croix, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and Wood counties in Wisconsin; and the contiguous counties of Boone, Jo Daviess, McHenry, Stephenson and Winnebago in Illinois, Allamakee, Clayton and Dubuque in Iowa, Gogebic and Iron in Michigan, and Carlton, Chisago, Houston, Pine, Saint Louis, Washington and Winona in Minnesota.
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of these declarations. Apart from aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, and ranchers. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by the drought conditions.
The loan amount can be up to $2 million. Interest rates are 4% for small businesses and 2.375% for private nonprofit organizations, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Eligibility is based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.
Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than July 31, 2024.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. 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.