COVID-19 Resources & Announcements

COVID-19 Quick Links

Navigate our page effortlessly and be directed to the information and resources you need. 

Important Update Regarding Events & Consultations

Out of an abundance of caution and concern, due to COVID-19, the facilities at NJSBDC Rutgers-Newark is are closed to the public and access is restricted to authorized employees. All in-person classes, programs, and services have been moved to a virtual a platform.  Feel free to register for our webinars and workshops online.  All one-on-one consulting sessions will now be done via the phone or video conferencing.  The staff at NJSBDC at Rutgers-Newark will NOT be physically available at our office location until further notice.  Please contact us via phone at (973) 353-5950 or email: rnsbdc@business.rutgers.edu.

Need assistance to apply for a loan/grant? To speak with a consultant please complete our request for counseling form:

COVID-19 Relief Options

Get access to grants and loans from the SBA, NJEDA, and more. This list only includes loans and grants that are currently open and accepting applications. Click the blue bars below to get started.
Excluded New Jerseyans Fund

Program Type: Grant

Amount:One-time, direct cash benefit

The Excluded New Jerseyans Fund (ENJF) provides a one-time, direct cash benefit to eligible households who have suffered an economic hardship due to COVID-19 and were excluded from both the federal stimulus checks and COVID related unemployment assistance – including undocumented individuals, residents re-entering from the justice system, and any other individuals otherwise excluded. Applications for this program are now open.

DoorDash Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Relief through $10,000 grants.

To help restaurants recover in times of critical need, DoorDash has partnered with Hello Alice to create the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund. The fund supports restaurants impacted by natural disasters like fires, floods and hurricanes, and provides relief through $10,000 grants.

CLOSED: Henri/Ida Business Assistance Grant Program

Program Type: Grant

Amount: The Program will provide grants from $1,000 up to $5,000 to New Jersey-based small businesses and non-profits that have up to 50 full-time equivalent employees.

The Henri/Ida Business Assistance Grant Program provides short-term, immediate August rent or mortgage reimbursement support to New Jersey small and medium-sized businesses and non-profits that have suffered physical damage as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Henri on August 22nd or 23rd, 2021, and/or Hurricane Ida on September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 2021.

Mayor Baraka’s Small Business Emergency Grants Round 4

Program Type: Grant

Amount:Awards under this round will be for up to $15,000 to Newark businesses with from 1 to 25 employees including home-based businesses and start-ups.

Mayor Ras J. Baraka has made available additional funding for the Newark Emergency Small Business Grant Fund. The City of Newark will invest an additional $2 million in Round 4 of the Fund to stabilize Newark’s small businesses that have suffered a direct loss of income due to COVID-19. The Small Business Grant Fund was created in March 2020 to support impacted Newark small businesses and help them to survive the current crisis, retain as many employees as possible, adapt and recover.

NJEDA New Jersey Community Stage Relief Grant Program

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Qualified applicants could receive grants of up to 30% of their decline in operating revenue from 2019 to 2020, up to a maximum grant award of $300,000.

The New Jersey Community Stage Relief Grant Program provides grants up to $300,000 to for-profit venues, businesses, and sole proprietors that host, organize, promote, produce, or manage live events or performances by performing artists.d an email notification to all pre-registered Stage 2 applicants.

NJEDA Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program (Phase 2)

Program Type: Loan

Amount: Direct low-cost financing of up to $100,000; 10-year term and amortization, 0% interest rate, Deferred repayments for 24 months

The Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program provides direct low-cost financing of up to $100,000 to New Jersey-based businesses and nonprofits that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for the Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program (Phase 2) are now closed. Applications were open from Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021 through 3:00 p.m. on Friday, August 13th, 2021 for Stage 1 applicants that have acquired at least 500 square feet of additional space since January 1st, 2021.

Due to the high volume of applications the NJEDA has received during Stage 1, applications for Stage 2 entities will be deferred. Should funding remain available after the NJEDA evaluates all Stage 1 applications, the NJEDA may open the applications for Stage 2 applicants at a later date. If this happens, the NJEDA will send an email notification to all pre-registered Stage 2 applicants.

CLOSED: SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant

Program Type: Grant

Amount: For an eligible entity in operation on January 1, 2019, grants will be for an amount equal to 45% of their 2019 gross earned revenue OR $10 million, whichever is less. For an eligible entity that began operation after January 1, 2019, grants will be for the average monthly gross earned revenue for each full month you were in operation during 2019 multiplied by six OR $10 million, whichever is less.

This grant provides emergency assistance for eligible venues affected by COVID-19.

SBA COVID-19 EIDL

Program Type: Loan

Amount: 24 months of economic injury, up to a maximum of $500,000 at an interest of 3% and a loan term of 30 years

This loan provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue.

SBA COVID-19 Targeted EIDL Advance

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Advance funds of up to $10,000

This loan provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue.

SBA Shuttered Venues Grant

Program Type: Grant

Amount: An amount equal to 45% of their 2019 gross earned revenue OR $10 million, whichever is less.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

NJEDA Sustain and Serve NJ

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Between $100,000 to $2 million to support the purchase of meals from New Jersey-based restaurants that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

The purpose of the Sustain and Serve NJ Program is to provide urgently needed revenue to New Jersey-based restaurants to offset direct losses due to COVID-19, including restaurants that had temporarily closed, were preparing to close, and/or reduced their staff through layoffs or furloughs.

NJDCA COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase II (CVERAP Phase II)

Program Type: Rental Assistance

Amount: Varies

The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase II (CVERAP Phase II) will provide rental arrears and temporary rental assistance to low- and moderate-income households that have had a substantial reduction in income, have qualified for unemployment benefits, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due, directly, or indirectly, to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GoFundMe.org Small Business Relief Fund

Program Type: Micro-grants

Amount: Varies

The GoFundMe.org Small Business Relief Fund will provide micro-grants to qualifying small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Relief Fund is part of the Small Business Relief Initiative: a program supported by GoFundMe and our partners. The Small Business Relief Initiative will supply financial assistance and support to businesses across the country by providing grants, tools, and resources to help during the crisis.

East Orange COVID-19 Business Assistance Program

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Up to $10,000 available for eligible applicants.

These federal funds are intended to benefit low/mod income individuals and can be used to provide operating assistance to business owners for the purpose of assisting small businesses to continue operations and keep residents employed.

NJEDA Small Business Lease Assistance Program

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Varies

The Small Business Lease Assistance Program offers reimbursement of a percentage of annual lease payments to for profit businesses and non-profit organizations in eligible areas that plan to lease between 500 – 5,000 s.f. of new or additional market-rate, first-floor office, industrial or retail space for a minimum 5-year term.

Comcast Rise

Program Type: Fund

Amount: Counseling, media, creative production, technology makeover, monetary grant coming soon

Recently, small businesses have been dealing with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, social unrest, and environmental events. Small businesses owned by people of color have been some of the hardest hit. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, between February and April 2020, the number of active Black-owned businesses declined by 41%, Latinx-owned businesses declined by 32%, and Asian-owned businesses dropped by 25%, versus just 21% for the general population. Comcast RISE was created to invest in the success of these critical businesses by providing valuable and practical support.

LISC Small Business Relief Grant

Program Type: Grant

Amount: From $5,000 to $20,000

Awards will be made to qualified businesses, and eligibility is based on accurate and complete submission. Priority will be given especially to entrepreneurs of color, women- and veteran-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically under-served places who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital.

KKR Small Business Builders

Program Type: Grant

Amount: Up to $10,000 to small businesses

KKR launched its Small Business Builders fund in partnership with Hello Alice to provide COVID-19 recovery grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses. In addition to capital, grantees also gain access to technical expertise, mentoring and coaching opportunities from KKR, as well as Hello Alice’s network of resources and online community.

Accion Opportunity Fund

Program Type: Loan

Amount: From $5,000 to $100,000

American Express will provide a $40 million investment to Accion Opportunity Fund, representing the nonprofit’s largest investment to date. Loans from Accion Opportunity Fund offer much-needed capital to historically underfunded small business owners, including people of color, women and immigrants.

IFW First Women Grant Program - Jane Walker

Program Type: Grant

Amount: $10K grant plus a one-year IFundWomen Annual Coaching Membership

Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker, a whisky that celebrates the achievements of women and all those pushing boundaries towards gender equality, wants to see more firsts for women.

NJEDA Direct Loans

Program Type: Loans

Amount: Up to $2 million for fixed assets

New Jersey businesses in need of financing and committed to job creation/ retention may be eligible for Direct loans through the NJEDA when conventional financing is not available.

NJEDA Edison Innovation Fund

Program Type: Fund

Amount: Varies

The Edison Innovation Fund seeks to develop, sustain, and grow technology and life sciences businesses that will lead to well-paying job opportunities for New Jersey residents.

NJEDA Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF)

Program Type: Loans and Grants

Amount: Varies

Businesses operating in New Jersey, individuals, or municipalities that are required to, or volunteered to, perform remediation and/or cleanup of contaminated and underutilized sites may be eligible to secure financing through loans and/or grants under the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF).

NJEDA NJ Ignite

Program Type: Grants

Amount: Rent can be covered for up to 2, 4, or 6 months

NJ Ignite supports entrepreneurs by providing rent support grants. In addition, this program provides collaborative workspaces with a new tenant attraction tool.

NJEDA Small Business Fund

Program Type: Fund

Amount: Small businesses: Up to $500,000. Not-for-profits: Up to $500,000 with 1.0X historical debt service coverage

Creditworthy small, minority-owned or women-owned business in New Jersey in operation for at least one full year who may not have the ability to get bank financing, or not-for-profit corporation in operation for at least three full years may be eligible for assistance under the Small Business Fund.

Upcoming CARES Act Webinars/Workshops

To participate in our webinars and virtual programs, participants should ensure that they have a desktop or laptop with access to the Internet and the ZOOM platform. In the event that you cannot participate online, you can request a refund 7 days before the event date otherwise you will receive a credit to attend the event at later date.

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Stay Updated on COVID -19 News & Updates

In our efforts to support our small business community, NJSBDC has curated resources for small businesses & employees. Whether you need funding, assistance with recovery or information on new policies, you can find that information here.