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Wisconsin to allow some nonessential businesses to restart no-contact service this week.

Gov. Tony Evers’s (D) new emergency order will permit nonessential businesses to conduct curbside drop-off of goods and animals starting Wednesday at 8 a.m. The governor said the move “turns the dial a notch” toward reopening the state economy, according to a press release.

The order will allow businesses like dog groomers, small engine repair shops, upholstery businesses, and others to operate with curbside service. Outdoor recreational rentals, like those for boats, golf carts, kayaks, ATVs and other vehicles, will be permitted to conduct business. Automatic or self-service car washes will also reopen. All of these businesses “must operate free of contact with customers” and allow consumers to pay by phone or online, according to the release. More Here

Gov. Tony Evers has directed the Department of Natural Resources to reopen several state parks and forests under special conditions. The parks had closed on April 9, due to concerns over crowds and vandalism.

Evers directed DNR to reopen 34 state parks and forests on May 1. The special conditions are to help minimize overcrowding and allow for social distancing requirements. More Here

The Small Business Administration will resume accepting PPP loan applications today from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower. SBA has updated FAQs for the program and provided specifics on calculating maximum loan amounts by business type. For all program information and to find a lender, visit www.sba.gov/paycheckprotection.

The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Health Care Enhancement Act of 2020 (“PPP Act”) was signed into law on April 24, 2020.

The $484 billion PPP Act has been enacted with the goal of replenishing the PPP with approximately $310 billion in additional funds, increasing availability of Emergency Economic Injury Disaster (“EIDL”) Grants, and providing federal funding to assist hospitals and healthcare providers.

This second round of PPP loans may end up distributed even faster than the first round since thousands of applications had been submitted to lenders by the time the first round of funds had been depleted. Sixty billion dollars of the new PPP funds will be specifically set aside for small, medium, and community lenders to distribute.

For those who have already submitted their loan applications, there is no need to resubmit one to the same lender.

In addition to the guidance included in our previously issued articles, you can find the SBA Interim Rules and FAQs here for additional information. The Interim Rules were updated on April 24, 2020, to touch on the following:

• -Hedge Funds and Private Equity Firms are not eligible for PPP Loans
• - Some portfolio companies of private equity funds may be eligible for a PPP loan, but applicants should apply the affiliation rules set forth by SBA and should carefully consider whether they can certify that “current economic uncertainty makes the loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.”
• - A hospital that is otherwise eligible to receive a PPP loan as a business concern or 501(c)(3) will still be eligible, regardless of ownership by state or local government, if the hospital receives less than 50% of its funding from state or local government sources, not including Medicaid.
• - A business’s participation in an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) does not result in an affiliation between the business and the ESOP.
• - An applicant is not eligible for a PPP loan if it is involved in a bankruptcy proceeding during the time it submits the application or at any time before the loan is disbursed
• - Applicants should keep in mind that the Borrower Application Form requires a certification that “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” This is consistent with SBA’s publication of FAQ #31, which provides that, “although the CARES Act suspends the ordinary requirement that borrowers must be unable to obtain credit elsewhere, borrowers still must certify that their PPP loan request is necessary.” It is anticipated that publicly traded companies will find it more difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a PPP loan during this second round of funding.
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It is expected that the SBA will issue additional guidance via “FAQs” in the coming days and weeks. Full Article Here. 

Small Business Administration Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program – Additional Criterion for Seasonal Employers -Info Here

Gov. Tony Evers today announced Wisconsin's "Badger Bounce Back" plan which outlines important criteria for Wisconsin to be able to reopen its economy in phases and includes steps to make sure workers and businesses are prepared to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.

The Badger Bounce Back plan is informed in part by the President's Guidelines for Opening Up America Again that was issued by the White House on April 16, 2020. Currently, Wisconsin does not meet the criteria the White House established to start reopening our state. The Badger Bounce Back plan takes important steps to get the state of Wisconsin there.

The Badger Bounce Back plan is available here. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s portion of the Badger Bounce Back plan aimed at helping to ensure workers and businesses are prepared and ready to bounce back is available here. The Badger Bounce Back plan, in brief, is also available here.

From the U.S. Chamber: Grant opportunity for small businesses with 3-20 employees.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with founding partner Vistaprint, has launched the Save Small Business Fund, a grant program to provide assistance to small business owners impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Funded by contributions from corporate and philanthropic partners, the Foundation will distribute $5,000 grants to small employers in economically vulnerable communities in the United States and its territories.

Grant applications open on April 20, 2020. To qualify, applicants must employ between three and 20 people, be located in an economically vulnerable community, and have been harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants will be awarded weekly on a rapid and rolling basis until all funds have been disbursed. To learn more about the Save Small Business Fund or apply for a grant, visit www.savesmallbusiness.com.

SBA Processed More Than 14 years’ Worth of Loans in Less Than 14 days

The Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans are saving millions of jobs, providing much-needed relief, and helping America’s small businesses make it through this challenging time.

As of this morning, the SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the PPP based on available appropriations funding.

Also, the SBA is unable to accept new applications for the EIDL COVID-19 related assistance program, including EIDL Advances, based on available appropriations funding. Applicants who already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza issued this joint statement with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to “urge Congress to appropriate additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program — a critical and overwhelmingly bipartisan program — at which point we will once again be able to process loan applications, issue loan numbers, and protect millions of more paychecks."

Additional Resources for Small Businesses
The SBA is committed to helping small businesses recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. Additional assistance includes:

- Funding: SBA 7(a), 504 and microloans, on which the SBA is offering Debt Relief; or, SBA Express Bridge Loans.
- Advising: The SBA Resource Partner Network for business resiliency readiness advising and training.
- Tax Relief: IRS information about tax relief for businesses.
- State Resources: Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for employers and small businesses and Wisconsin Small Business Development Center network