COVID-19 Resources

Financial Relief

Local

• COVID-19 Disaster Response Fund - Local fund led by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. Rapid response grants to partners where resources are most needed. Grant applications for nonprofits closed April 15. View grant recipients HERE.

State

• Targeted Small Business Sole Operator Fund - Created to support Targeted Small Businesses with zero employees. Applications will be processed in both order of receipt of application and submission of all required documents and Targeted Small Business certification approval. Businesses applying for this program must be a certified Targeted Small Business to qualify for funding. DETAILS + APPLY NOW
• Iowa Small Business Relief Program - Rounds 1 - 23 of funding have been announced. Review the lists here.
  The Tax Deferral portion of the program is accepting a second round of applications, open through June 30.
  
• Iowa Economic Development Authority Business Recovery Resources - State, federal and other financial assistance options, business and financial guidance and resources.
• ICR Next Economic Development Webinar (recorded April 29) with Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and our moderator and ICR Iowa Board Chair, Lydia Brown, discussing state program delivery and anticipating Iowa’s road to recovery.

Federal

• Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) - Created in the CARES Act, $350 billion help small businesses. The loans will be forgiven as long as the funds are used to keep employees on the payroll and for certain other expenses. CLICK HERE for the application form. Find lenders eligible to issue a PPP loan HERE.
  • UPDATE on 5/18: Info on how to apply for PPP loans to be forgiven
  • Up-to-the-minute PPP FAQ (under Tools) from the U.S. Treasury
  • Using PPP Loan Proceeds to Maximize Forgiveness Using PPP Recorded 5/18
• Main Street Lending Program - This is a lending program separate from the PPP that is designed to assist small and medium-sized businesses with up to 15,000 employees through government-backed loans.
  • U.S. Chamber Guide
  • Federal Reserve FAQ
• Employee Retention Tax Credit Program - The CARES Act created a new employee retention tax credit for employers who are closed, partially closed, or experiencing significant revenue losses as a result of COVID-19. Employers who receive a PPP loan are not eligible for this tax credit.
  • U.S. Chamber Guide
  • IRS Website Information
• Economic Injury Disaster Loans & Emergency Grants (EIDL) - Eligibility for entities suffering economic harm due to COVID-19 including a grant that will provide an emergency advance of up to $10,000 to small businesses and private nonprofits within three days of applying for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). To access the grant, you must first apply for an EIDL and then request the grant. The grants are backdated to January 31, 2020 so if you've previously applied for an EIDL you are eligible to receive a grant. DETAILS
  • Please note: Due to the backlog of applications, at this time the SBA is only accepting new EIDL applications from agricultural businesses.

Businesses should work with their current lenders to determine exactly what offering is the best fit for them.

All businesses who have received or applied for assistance through the state and/or federal financial relief programs should properly document their finances related to the assistance in the case their business is audited over the following year.

Reopening Your Business

• City of Cedar Rapids' Streamlined Permit Process Supporting Outdoor Service Area for Retail - Allows for temporary outdoor service areas on private property and public sidewalks to retail, restaurants, bars, and fitness centers like patio dining or merchandise displays.
• MaskofWellness.com - A directory of businesses agreeing to keep society, and the economy, going with a positive approach promoting responsible tactics.
• Mitigating COVID-19 in Iowa Restaurants Recorded on 5/21
• COVID-19 Business Prevention Webinar for Manufacturers Recorded on 5/14 - Representatives from the Iowa Governor’s Office, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa Department of Public Health will provide an overview of preventative measures and resources for manufactures as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes resources for reopening businesses in a responsible manner.
• City of Cedar Rapids Reopening Toolkit
• Ensuring Safety of Water Systems After Reduced Operation
• Guidance on Reopening from the Iowa Department of Health as of April 27
• Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 from OSHA
• Iowa’s OSHA-approved State Plan - Includes PPE fact sheet, guidance for retail workers and more
• Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidelines by Industry from the CDC
• How You Can Plan for a Safe Reopening from Inc.

HR/Legal & Employment Resources

• Mental health resource for employers from Linn County Public Health
• Guidance on Iowa’s Unemployment Insurance Extension Under CARES Act
• ICR Career Collective - Direct and personalized support and resources for employers and job seekers experiencing changes in employment at this time. For rapid sharing of information among workforce partners, employers and job seekers, join the Facebook Group!
• Unemployment Information from Iowa Workforce Development
• Guidance from Iowa Department of Public Health on COVID-19 Outbreaks in the Workplace (Recorded April 17) by Linn County Public Health
• Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division Families First Coronavirus Response Act Fact Sheet for Employers
• Department of Labor's Wage & Hour Division Families First Coronavirus Response Act Questions and Answers
  • Notice Poster for Employees

Support Local

Open For Business in Cedar Rapids Facebook page KCRG's list of restaurants here Economic Alliance Member Directory

Health Resources

Stay informed and look for information from reliable and trusted sources, including:

• TestIowa.com
• Iowa Department of Public Health
• Coronavirus.Iowa.gov
• Centers for Disease Control & Public Health
• World Health Organization
• Linn County Public Health