Whether you are a small business searching for capital to continue operations during this time or you are looking to start a business, we know that finding resources can be challenging. The SEC is responding to COVID-19 challenges faced by businesses and their investors, including temporary, conditional relief for companies to raise capital via Regulation Crowdfunding, extended filing deadlines for Regulation Crowdfunding and Regulation A issuers and providing relief from the Form ID notarization requirement for filings with the SEC’s EDGAR system. Below are links to third-party resources that the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation has compiled that we hope will be helpful:
- Federal Relief Programs to Support Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 are below:
- The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy COVID-19 Resource Page includes information on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Guidance on Accessing Capital for Minority, Underserved, Veteran and Women-Owned Business Concerns, in addition to an extensive list of the various COVID-19 resource webpages that exist across several other federal government agencies;
- The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Assistance for Small Businesses webpage contains information on the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Loan Advance Program. In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund launched the CDFI Rapid Response Program to quickly and broadly deploy capital to certified CDFIs serving communities responding to the impacts of COVID-19, including many small businesses;
- The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency webpage provides information about pandemic-related funding opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators, including the launch of its Scaling Pandemic Resilience through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) Challenge; and
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s USDA Rural Development webpage provides information about the Business and Industry CARES Act Program which provides loan guarantees to lenders for loans to businesses impacted by the coronavirus.
- Local Business Development and Capital Funding Resources
- Locate your nearest Small Business Development Center run by the U.S. Small Business Administration; or
- Locate your nearest Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s MBDA. Also, check out the MBDA and Cares Act Funding webpage for a list of MBDA business centers and minority chambers of commerce helping to train, educate, and advise small and minority business enterprises in their recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
- Health Guidance from the CDC – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled resources for businesses and employers to help in planning, preparing, and responding to COVID-19.
In addition, the following organizations have curated lists of resources offered by advocacy groups, organizations, businesses, and government agencies:
- American Bar Association’s COVID-19 Articles and Resources
- Hello Alice's COVID-19 Business Resource Center
- Internal Revenue Service’s Coronavirus Tax Relief for Businesses and Tax-Exempt Entities webpage
- NASAA’s COVID-19 Updates from State and Provincial Securities Regulators
- National Association of Manufacturer’s COVID-19 Resources
- National Venture Capital Association’s Coronavirus Information and Resources for VCs and Startups
- Public Private Strategies' COVID-19 Resources for Employers
- The National 8a Association Resources and Information for Small Businesses
- U.S. Chamber’s Guide to Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Loans
- U.S. Department of Labor’s COVID-19 and the American Workplace
We will be updating this page regularly, and we welcome suggestions for additional resources and content via email at smallbusiness@sec.gov.
Our Office will also continue to host virtual events spotlighting issues and resources available to support the broad range of small businesses and their investors who are continuing to navigate new challenges with COVID-19.
Note: The content of any external links on this webpage to non-Federal Agency websites is not endorsed by the Federal Government, the SEC, or the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, and it is not subject to Federal information quality, privacy, security, and related guidelines.
Modified: March 11, 2021