Update: SVOG Portal To Reopen On April 26

SBA
 – SBA
Update April 23, 5 p.m. PST: The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced it is moving the reopening date for the SVOG portal to Monday, April 26 at 12 p.m. ET.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>We heard you and we are taking action. In response to stakeholder feedback about reopening the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application this weekend, the application portal will now reopen on Monday, April 26 at 12pm ET.</p>&mdash; SBA (@SBAgov) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SBAgov/status/1385725076578910208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Original Story: The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that the portal for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant will reopen on April 24 at 12:30 p.m. ET for live venue operators and related businesses on a first-come, first-served basis.

The SBA has recommended all applicants register on the portal in advance, with a smart phone and a multi-factor authenticator app, review the SVOG FAQs and User Guide, and prepare required documentation.
This reopening of the SVOG portal comes after a disastrous opening on April 8 that resulted in an almost immediate shutdown due to tech issues. It was announced at the end of last week that the reopening would be further postponed into this week.
The National Independent Venue Association told Pollstar it is grateful the portal will be reopening as the need is urgent. 
“Simply put, this is emergency relief that can’t come too soon,” Audrey Fix Schaefer, NIVA board member and communications director said in a statement.  “Every single day that passes small businesses are receiving eviction notices, all the while $16 billion has been waiting for them. This is a lifeline for thousands of independent venues and promoters in big towns and in small communities across the nation. When you’ve had revenue losses of more than 90 percent and are in fear of going under, having the opportunity to apply for the grant is a relief, no matter what day of the week it is. We’re thankful our members won’t have to wait much longer.”
The SVOG program was created after the passage of the Economic Aid to Hard Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act by Congress in December that incorporated the Save Our Stages Act, appropriating $15 billion for the program. After Congress authorized the creation of the program in December, many have told Pollstar the several months of waiting have been difficult for businesses on the cusp of closure, that have not had access to revenue for more than a year. Regulations regarding the ability of SVOG applicants to also apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans were modified in the American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this month. The ARP Act also appropriated an additional $1.25 billion to the program.
The SVOG FAQs state that awards will still be made available on a “first come, first served” basis, which some sources said resembled “The Hunger Games” the last time the portal was opened, as it was viewed as a free for all, with everyone waiting by their computers, trying desperately to enter their information first to give themselves the best chance to qualify. The FAQs also state that service and support companies that provide lighting, staging, sound, cast and other support for live shows will not be qualified for SVOG aid.