Be Aware of Fraud When Applying for Assistance

Scammers are using the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) name to con small businesses and individuals during the COVID-19 crisis through phone calls, emails, text messages and letters.

Please note:

• If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA, suspect fraud. 
• Emails from SBA or other legitimate government agencies will always end in .gov.
• There is no cost to apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan and SBA will never ask you to provide a credit card.
• Do not release any private information (social security number, date of birth, etc.) or banking information in response to an unsolicited caller, letter, email, or text.
• If you are in the process of applying for an SBA loan and receive email correspondence asking for personal information, ensure that the referenced application number is consistent with your application number.
• An SBA logo on an email or webpage does not guarantee the information is accurate or from the SBA.
• Check for spelling and grammatical errors in an email and be wary of clicking on any links or attachments.
• For help with applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, call 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. You can also use a text telephone (TTY) by calling 1-800-877-8339.
• For inquiries regarding support for small businesses, send an email to answerdesk@sba.gov
• Visit the Small Business Cybersecurity site to learn more about small Business Cybersecurity tips, common threats, training, and best practices. https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/small-business-cybersecurity
• Visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Infrastructure site for small business resources. https://w.gov/publication/stopthinkconnect-small-business-resources

Trust your instincts! If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true.

Updates to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application Process

Several changes have been made to simplify and streamline the process of applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the SBA. If you have already submitted your application, you will be contacted with instructions to finalize the process.

• Start the process HERE
• You will be asked to fill in some basic information about your business and the business owners.
• On the last screen, if you opt in to the $10,000 request for emergency funds, you will need to supply your bank account and routing number.
• You will see a summary of all your information that you can review prior to submitting your application.
• You will not be asked to upload any documentation at submittal; however, you may be asked for supporting information at a later date.
• If you submitted your application prior to March 27th, you will need to re-visit the website HERE to submit the $10,000 request for emergency funds

Paycheck Protection Program

The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.

Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards.

Under this program:

• Eligible recipients may qualify for a loan up to $10 million determined by 8 weeks of prior average payroll plus an additional 25% of that amount.
• Loan payments will be deferred for six months.
• If you maintain your workforce, SBA will forgive the portion of the loan proceeds that are used to cover the first 8 weeks of payroll and certain other expenses following loan origination.

Click here to learn more.

Medical Equipment Supply Coordination

Maine MEP is working with Maine Medical Center, Northern Light Health, The University of Maine and Manufacturers Association of Maine to coordinate manufacturing of the medical equipment our hospitals will need to combat COVID-19 in Maine. Please contact MaineMEP if you have the ability to help in any aspect of the manufacture of the following items: Improvised "Aerosol Box" - Such as these. Face shields - Such as these. Ventilators Hand sanitizer - particularly looking for capability to mix and bottle. Mask sewing - particularly looking for organizations with the capability to sew thin material. Maine Health Supply has asked that manufacturers of any of the following items please reach out. Masks - ear loop procedure masks & N95s Infrared thermometers PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) Nitrile Gloves - especially long cuff Tall boot covers (Paper/Gauze type product) Shoe covers (Paper/Gauze type product) PDI (purple top) germicidal disposable wipes (active ingredients- n-Alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride and n-Alkyl dimethyl benzoyl ammonium chloride) Sterilized alcohol Disposable gowns Anticipated possible future needs to include: Tyvek suits Charcoal mask filters Thank you!