Franklin County Business Owners Facebook Group

Maine Downtown Center COVID-19 Resource Page

CEI Business Directory Form

Maine Farm Product and Pick-Up Directory

MANP – Information on COVID-19 for Maine Nonprofits

Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Response and Resource Center

Governor Mills’ Newsroom

Congressman Golden’s Small Business Resource Guide

Senator Collins’ COVID-19 Resource Guide

Webinar for Sole Proprietor Businesses: Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic Wednesday, April 29 at 11 am | Hosted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce | Register Here

Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Update with Commissioner Johnson Wednesday, April 29 at 2:30 | Register Here

President Trump signed a $484-billion bill on Friday designed to boost the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed last month.

The new legislation – called “CARES 1.5” by some – includes:

• $310 billion in replenished funds for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
• $50 billion for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program
• $10 billion for the SBA’s Emergency Economic Injury Grant program
• $75 billion in emergency money for our health system
• $25 billion to increase testing and contact tracing capabilities

An important new provision:

While $250 billion of the $310 billion will be disbursed the exact same way as in round one, the other $60 billion will be allocated by small lenders and community-based financial institutions with the stated goal of focusing on rural businesses and businesses owned by women and people of color.

To apply to the PPP, reach out to an SBA Approved Lender. Round 2 of PPP applications began yesterday, Monday the 27th.

Franklin County region SBA Approved Lenders:

• Androscoggin Savings Bank
• Bangor Savings Bank
• Franklin Savings Bank
• Skowhegan Savings Bank
• TD Bank
• University Credit Union

If any individual applicants (sole proprietors, independent contractors, etc.) are having trouble finding banks in Franklin County who will accept their applications, there are at least two out-of-county banks willing to accept PPP applications from new customers in Franklin County who are small borrowers:

• Machias Savings Bank
• Auburn Savings: 207-782-6871

These new resources for the PPP are helpful:

• How to calculate maximum loan amounts
• Paycheck Protection Loan FAQs

To apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), the application for the new round of funds is not open yet, but should be available here on the SBA’s site soon.

“Maine Farmland Trust and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association have created the Maine Farm Emergency Grant program, which is awarding grants of up to $2,000 from a $70,000 pool. The grants will provide support as well as help farmers and food producers adapt their businesses to be responsive to changing markets.”

The grant application is here. 

“New Ventures Maine (NVME)’s marketing mini-grant program aims to strengthen access to markets for micro-businesses by supporting the development of marketing tools, materials, and activities. Under the program NVME awards cash mini-grants to microenterprises for marketing projects through a competitive application process.

Criteria for the contest: having 5 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, have sales in the current calendar year, and gross annual sales of no more than $250,000.”

The mini-grant application is here.

The Maine Arts Commission has been preparing for the impact of the COVID-19 crisis since early March. Already, $5.2 million has been reported in economic loss across Maine’s creative nonprofit sector. With the recent announcement of the $75 million dollars appropriated to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Arts Commission staff have been busy re-aligning their existing grant programs to provide relief to arts sector as efficiently as possible. The Maine Arts Commission will receive $426,800 from the NEA through the CARES Act.

Further details on how that funding will be distributed can be found here.