Small Business Administration Receives 1700+ SVOG Applications on First Day

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this month, The Small Business Administration was forced to halt its opening day for COVID-19 grants for theaters and live venues due to technical difficulties. Just yesterday, April 26, the portal reopened and venues turned up in a big way, according to Variety. Within the first 24 hours, SBA received over 1700 SVOG applications.

"As of noon ET today, the SVOG portal had received 17,356 applications and, of those, 9,472 had been started and 7,884 had been submitted," a rep told Variety.

Venues can still apply for relief here.

A document was released earlier this month that answers frequently asked questions about the SVOG program. These will be updated as new information comes available and additional program details are finalized. Answers span topics including eligibility and qualifications for movie theaters, museums, and live venues. View the full document here.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program is Section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act) signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, and was part of H.R. 133 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.