Request from SBA and the State of Ohio

March 17, 2020

Help expedite the process

All federal agencies are working together to protect public health, including the U.S. Small Business Administration. The agency’s top priority is to ensure Ohio small businesses – which total nearly 950,000 – can continue their contributions to the state’s economy, and our nation.

The SBA is working directly with Governor DeWine’s office to facilitate a disaster declaration from the SBA for businesses to be eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. To expedite this process, the SBA and State of Ohio need your help in disseminating the attached Disaster Loan Declaration form to harmed businesses in your community to fill out so as to activate the Disaster Loan Program in Ohio.

Once a business has completed this Disaster Loan Declaration, please email the completed forms to james.laipply@development.ohio.gov.

Once that declaration is made and the SBA has confirmed it, the SBA will be able to move forward and open up Economic Injury Disaster Loan Process to Ohio businesses. This SBA Direct Loan Program can provide a loan of up to $2 million per small business to assist with economic recovery.

Please know that this is not the application for the Disaster Loan Program, but a document to help the SBA determine that the State of Ohio is in a disaster area due to the Coronavirus / COVID-19.

Our team sincerely appreciates your help in this effort.

What’s Next?

Once that declaration is made and the SBA has confirmed it, the agency will be able to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million per small business to assist with economic recovery.

SBA Disaster Assistance Response to the Coronavirus HERE, Spanish version HERE

Please feel free to send out the attached handouts as well as the below links to disaster assistance:

Disaster Preparedness Factsheet (English | Spanish)
Disaster Mitigation Factsheet (English | Spanish)
Disaster Assistance Loans: Businesses & Nonprofits (English | Spanish)
Disaster Assistance Loans: Homeowners & Renters (English | Spanish)
Disaster Assistance Loans: Community Impact (English | Spanish)

The SBA will continue to support small businesses through this difficult time, and we urge them to visit www.sba.gov/coronavirus and follow @SBA_Columbus on Twitter.

For detailed information on SBA programs for the coronavirus, visit www.sba.gov/coronavirus and for information on all federal programs, visit www.usa.gov/coronavirus or www.gobierno.usa.gov/coronavirus (en Español).