NEWS RELEASE

 

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PRESS OFFICE

Release Date: January 8, 2021 Contact: press_office@sba.gov; 202-270-3876

Release Number: 21-02 Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram

 

SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced today that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday, January 11, and Second Draw PPP Loans on Wednesday, January 13. The PPP will open to all participating lenders shortly thereafter. Updated PPP guidance outlining Program changes to enhance its effectiveness and accessibility was released on January 6 in accordance with the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act.

This round of the PPP continues to prioritize millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $284 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses through March 31, 2021, and by allowing certain existing PPP borrowers to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan.

“The historically successful Paycheck Protection Program served as an economic lifeline to millions of small businesses and their employees when they needed it most,” said Administrator Jovita Carranza. “Today’s guidance builds on the success of the program and adapts to the changing needs of small business owners by providing targeted relief and a simpler forgiveness process to ensure their path to recovery.”

“The Paycheck Protection Program has successfully provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to America’s small businesses, supporting more than 51 million jobs,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “This updated guidance enhances the PPP’s targeted relief to small businesses most impacted by COVID-19. We are committed to implementing this round of PPP quickly to continue supporting American small businesses and their workers.”

Key PPP updates include:

PPP borrowers can set their PPP loan’s covered period to be any length between 8 and 24 weeks to best meet their business needs;
PPP loans will cover additional expenses, including operations expenditures, property damage costs, supplier costs, and worker protection expenditures;
The Program’s eligibility is expanded to include 501(c)(6)s, housing cooperatives, destination marketing organizations, among other types of organizations;
The PPP provides greater flexibility for seasonal employees;
Certain existing PPP borrowers can request to modify their First Draw PPP Loan amount; and
Certain existing PPP borrowers are now eligible to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan.
A borrower is generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan if the borrower:

Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses;
Has no more than 300 employees; and
Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.

The new guidance released includes:

PPP Guidance from SBA Administrator Carranza on Accessing Capital for Minority, Underserved, Veteran, and Women-owned Business Concerns;
Interim Final Rule on Paycheck Protection Program as Amended by Economic Aid Act;  and
Interim Final Rule on Second Draw PPP Loans.

For more information on SBA’s assistance to small businesses, visit sba.gov/ppp or treasury.gov/cares.

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

PPP ROUND ONE FORGIVENESS
The online forgiveness portal is live!
In order to best serve our PPP clients and offer you the same excellent process for forgiveness as you received for your loan, Huntingdon Valley Bank has partnered with Innovative Financing Solutions and Vikar Technologies to assist with processing and reviewing of forgiveness applications. 

When is my PPP Loan Forgiveness Application due?
Borrowers may submit a loan forgiveness application any time before the maturity date of the loan, which is either two or five years from loan origination. However, if a borrower does not apply for loan forgiveness within 10 months after the last day of the borrower’s loan forgiveness covered period, loan payments are no longer deferred and the borrower must begin making payments on the loan. For example, a borrower whose covered period ends on October 30, 2020 has until August 30, 2021 to apply for forgiveness before loan repayment begins.  

The expiration date in the upper-right corner of the posted PPP loan forgiveness application forms is displayed for purposes of SBA’s compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, and reflects the temporary expiration date for approved use of the forms. This date will be extended, and when approved, the same forms with the new expiration date will be posted.

Click here to view the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Loan Forgiveness.

Prepare in Advance:
You should take the following measures to prepare the supporting application information in advance. Your requested forgiveness amount should be identified and calculated before entering the Vikar portal. You should also assemble supporting payroll and nonpayroll documentation in advance. This will aide in maximizing your forgiveness amount and reduce the time necessary to complete and submit your application through the portal. 

• Read the instructions for whichever applicable SBA form pertains to your application (either the full SBA Form 3508 or 3508EZ). To determine which form is applicable, refer to the “Checklist for Using SBA Form 3508EZ” identified within the first page of Form 3508EZ instructions.

• Accumulate the data and documentation required per the Form 3508 or 3508EZ instructions in advance. The data fields within the portal correspond directly to these forms.

• If you have employees and use a Third-Party Payroll provider, request a CARES Act Forgiveness payroll report which may eliminate certain documentation requirements and contain most information needed to populate data corresponding to Form 3508 Schedule A and Schedule A Worksheets.

• Consult your accountant or other advisors for support as needed.

What to Expect:
The system will guide you through the process to enter and upload required information per the established program rules and regulations. The time burden to complete the application is approximately 45-60 minutes if the supporting documentation and information is assembled in advance.

A recommended decision to the SBA will be processed within 60 days of receiving a complete application. The SBA will then complete a secondary review and final decision within 90 days of receiving our recommendation. Overall, it may take up to 150 days to receive a final decision regarding forgiveness. SBA will automatically reduce the requested forgiveness amount by the amount of any EIDL advance taken by the company.

Additional information may be needed if errors are identified or if the application does not correspond with the documentation submitted. A representative of the team will notify you via email to revisit the Vikar portal to remedy such issues. If missing or incomplete information cannot be remedied, the forgiveness request may be partially approved or denied.

Information regarding the final disposition of your forgiveness request will be delivered in writing to you when the decision process is complete.

Please be advised that SBA may conduct an audit of your PPP Loan files at any time in SBA’s discretion up to six (6) years after the loan is forgiven or paid in full. If necessary, we will notify you and outline any required information to satisfy SBA’s review requirements. If SBA chooses to audit your forgiveness application while under our review, a decision regarding your application cannot be finalized until the SBA audit is complete.

Portal Log-In Instructions:
We recommend using Google Chrome (83) web browser to submit your application. Firefox (77), Safari (13) and Edge (83) are also supported.

To begin the application, visit ppp.vikartech.com and enter your username and the temporary password provided to you.

Upon initial login, you will be prompted to change your password. In addition, to authenticate you as a user, the system will request your SBA Loan Number and First Disbursement date. The Loan Number is on your loan documentation. The disbursement date is the date your loan funded. Please have this information available upon initial log-in. If you cannot find this data, contact us using the support information below.

You may save your progress and revisit the portal at any time to complete and submit the application. Once the application is submitted, the data input fields will be locked, however, you may revisit the portal to monitor the status of your request at any time.

Video Tutorial:
Please watch this brief video tutorial for a step by step process overview from initial login through forgiveness application submission:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1paO5B6gy5LlFCq2Jroj55WShysvsgYGc?usp=sharing

Help and Support:
Please contact our IFS partner directly for assistance by phone or email at 610-228-4654 or pppsupport@innovfs.net . The software portal includes Tool Tips which contain details and instructions relating to key data fields. While completing the application, please refer to the available tool tips which may answer many of your questions as they arise.

Additional Resources:
To read the full instructions and to access Forms 3508 and 3508EZ issued by the US Treasury and SBA please click any of the following links:
SBA Form 3508
SBA Form 3508 Instructions
SBA Form 3508EZ
SBA Form 3508EZ Instructions

To access all posted forms, rules and tools posted by the US Treasury and SBA please go to: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares/assistance-for-small-businesses

Thank You!:
Thank you again for being a valued HVB client. We built the PPP process with forgiveness in mind and by partnering with IFS and Vikar we are able to offer you a forgiveness solution that is fast and accurate. As always, the HVB team is here for you. If you have any questions, just contact the bank at
215-947-1300 and ask for a PPP representative.

HVB's Helpful Information about the SBA's PPP Program

Testimonials

PLEASE NOTE - HVB WILL NOT RECOGNIZE/PAY AGENT FEES FOR ANY APPLICATIONS RECEIVED ON BEHALF OF 3RD PARTY APPLICANTS.