Information for Rockland County Businesses

https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/nyforward.

New York Forward website: https://forward.ny.gov/

New York Forward Loan Fund www.nyloanfund.com

Phase 1 https://forward.ny.gov/phase-one-industries

Phase 2 https://forward.ny.gov/phase-two-industries

Phase 3 https://forward.ny.gov/phase-three-industries

Phase 4 https://forward.ny.gov/phase-four-industries

New Executive Order Extending New York on PAUSE: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-20234-continuing-temporary-suspension-and-modification-laws-relating-disaster-emergency

United States Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program

The CARES Act included $350 billion in funding for the creation of a Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. Small business owners in all U.S. States, Washington D.C., and territories are currently eligible to apply for this loan.

For more information on how to complete the application, businesses may visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp#section-header-1

U.S. Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) online list of lenders organized by state: https://www.sba.gov/document/support--paycheck-protection-program-participating-lenders?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

United States Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans & Emergency Economic Injury Grants.

These grants provide an emergency advance of up to $10,000 to small businesses and private non-profits harmed by COVID-19 within three days of applying for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). To access the advance, you first apply for an EIDL and then request the advance. The advance does not need to be repaid under any circumstance, and may be used to keep employees on payroll, to pay for sick leave, meet increased production costs due to supply chain disruptions, or pay business obligations, including debts, rent and mortgage payments.

For more information on how to complete the application, businesses may visit https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/economic-injury-disaster-loan-emergency-advance.

For those requiring additional assistance with completing the application, they may visit www.nysbdc.org for online assistance. To request a no-cost, confidential appointment with a local SBDC Advisor, please visit http://www.nysbdc.org/selector/ReqForCons/formo.aspx.

Businesses can also view a webinar hosted by the Rockland County Department of Economic Development & Tourism, Rockland Community College's SBDC (Small Business Development Center) and the Rockland Business Association on SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans here: https://www.facebook.com/rocklandgov/videos/161897121566588/.

SBA Paycheck Protection Program UPDATES:

The SBA has updated the FAQ for the Paycheck Protection Program, which can be found at https://www.sba.gov/document/support--faq-lenders-borrowers.

U.S. Agricultural Business COVID-19 Funding:

SBA will begin accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance applications on a limited basis only to provide relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. Agricultural businesses includes those businesses engaged in the production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries (as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)). More info can be found at https://www.sba.gov/page/disaster-loan-applications.

Women's Enterprise Development Center COVID-19 resources:

https://wedcbiz.org/resources/covid-19-resources/

Census Bureau COVID-19 Data Hub:

The U.S. Census Bureau released a new resource page to help federal agencies, businesses, and communities make decisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to the Census Bureau's resources pages created during natural disasters, this resource page includes information on population demographics, economic indicators and businesses. https://covid19.census.gov/

Empire State Development's COVID-19 Business Resources

Empire State Development (ESD) provides up-to-date information related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. For the latest information and updates, visit the following helpful links:

• COVID-19-Related Resources https://esd.ny.gov/esd-covid-19-related-resources
• Novel Coronavirus FAQ for Businesses https://esd.ny.gov/novel-coronavirus-faq-businesses
• Related Business Questions Form https://esd.ny.gov/covid-19-help
• Guidance for Determining Whether a Business Enterprise is Subject to a Workforce Reduction Under Recent Executive Orders https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026
• Phased Plan to Re-open New York https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/amid-ongoing-covid-19-pandemic-governor-cuomo-outlines-phased-plan-re-open-new-york-starting
• New York Forward Child Care Expansion Incentive Program
  https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-65-million-ny-forward-child-care-expansion-incentive

Other Helpful Resources:

• NYS COVID-19 Official Website: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
• The Rockland Business Association: https://www.rocklandbusiness.org/
• The New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF) https://esd.ny.gov/economic-recovery-covid-19-loans-small-businesses
• Rockland County Restaurants with Takeout, Curbside Pickup & Delivery: https://www.rocklandbusiness.org/rockland-county-restaurants-takeout-curbside-pickup-delivery/
• Rockland Small Business Development Center: http://www.sunyrockland.edu/community-and-business/business-development/sbdc
• Rockland County Workforce Development Board: https://rocklandwork.org/covid19/
• SCORE of Rockland County: https://rockland.score.org/contact-rockland-county-score
• SCORE: https://www.score.org/coronavirus
• NYS Small Business Development Center: http://www.nyssbdc.org/covid19response.html
• Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS): https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce: https://www.uschamber.com/coronavirus
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
• The Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act –Information on Congress's recently passed "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act: https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9/7/97ac840c-28b7-4e49-b872-d30a995d8dae/F2CF1DD78E6D6C8C8C3BF58C6D1DDB2B.small-business-owner-s-guide-to-the-cares-act-final-.pdf
• NYS Department of Health: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
• NYS Department of Labor: https://www.labor.ny.gov/home/
• NYS Department of Financial Services: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/
• Novel Coronavirus Hotline (available 24/7): 1-888-364-3065
• Mental Health Hotline: 1-844-863-9314
• NYS DOL Shared Work Program: Helps businesses manage business cycles and seasonal adjustments. Shared Work lets businesses keep trained staff and avoid layoffs More information can be found on this program here: https://labor.ny.gov/ui/dande/sharedwork1.shtm
• NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets: https://agriculture.ny.gov/coronavirus
• The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has established the Enterprising Women of Color Program, with a focus on women entrepreneurs, to become engines of economic growth in their communities.
• Minority Business Development Agency https://www.mbda.gov
• MBDA Business Center Enterprising Women of Color Grant Competition https://www.mbda.gov/form/pre-application-teleconference-mbda-enterprising-women-color-grant
• NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation: COVID-19 updates on their site, which can be found at https://parks.ny.gov/covid19
• NY/NJ Trail Conference: https://www.nynjtc.org/news/safest-home