WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced the first round of technology partners participating in a new initiative for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund – a program that will allow eligible restaurants and other food establishments access to the RRF application and data they need to fill out the application through their trusted point-of-sale service providers. SBA teamed up with Clover®, NCR Corp., Square and Toast in the effort to provide a customer-based approach to delivering relief funds.
“The SBA is partnering with point-of-sale providers to leverage technology to better reach the smallest businesses that need our help the most. This collaboration is just one example of the many innovative and creative ways we’re connecting with entrepreneurs in the hardest-hit and underserved communities,” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said in a news release. “The SBA must be as entrepreneurial as the entrepreneurs we serve. These partnerships enable us to meet small businesses where they are, instead of waiting for them to come to us.”
Under Guzman’s leadership, the SBA is prioritizing inclusion and equity in its programs as outlined by Congress, according to the news release. As small-business entrepreneurs have been asked to adapt to the new COVID-19 marketplace, the SBA is doing the same and ensuring it provides equitable distribution of funds and easier access to disaster relief programs.
Once the SBA announces when applications will be accepted, qualifying restaurants will be able to work directly with their point-of-sale service providers to help them apply for the RRF, according to the news release. Each partner is helping in different ways, from providing a fully integrated application experience to building prepackaged point-of-sale documentation. These partnerships will allow thousands of restaurant owners to accelerate their application submission process.
While SBA encourages applicants to use the point-of-sale system, applicants who lack access to point-of-sale service providers can submit applications electronically at https://restaurants.sba.gov, according to the news release.
Point-of-sale service providers who are interested in participating in the program should email restaurants@sba.gov. A full list of official providers will be continually updated and can be found at sba.gov/restaurants.