Disaster assistance now available to all Montana small businesses economically impacted by coronavirus

Press release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to all Montana small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced Saturday.

SBA disaster assistance is now available in all counties within the state of Montana and the neighboring counties below.

Neighboring Idaho counties: Bonner, Boundary, Clark, Clearwater, Fremont, Idaho, Lemhi and Shoshone;

Neighboring North Dakota counties: Bowman, Divide, Golden Valley, McKenzie, Slope and Williams; Neighboring South Dakota counties: Butte and Harding;

Neighboring Wyoming counties: Big Horn, Campbell, Crook, Park, Sheridan and Teton.

“SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist Montana small businesses with federal disaster loans. We will be swift in our efforts to help these small businesses recover from the financial impacts of the coronavirus (and) COVID-19,” Carranza said.

SBA Customer Service Representatives will be available to answer questions about SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and explain the application process.

“Small businesses, private nonprofit organizations of any size, small agricultural cooperatives and small aquaculture enterprises that have been financially impacted as a direct result of the coronavirus (and) COVID-19 since Jan. 31, 2020, may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred,” Carranza said.

“These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Disaster loans can provide vital economic assistance to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing,” Carranza added.

Eligibility for Economic Injury Disaster Loans is based on the financial impact of the coronavirus and COVID-19. The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses. The interest rate for private nonprofit organizations is 2.75 percent. SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years and are available to entities without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship.

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. 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. Individuals who are deaf or hardofhearing may call 800-877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 17.

For more information about coronavirus, people can visit http://oronavirus.gov .

For more information about available SBA resources and services, people can visit http://SBA.gov/coronavirus .