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Hurricane Idalia | Disaster Loan Assistance

Please view available federal and state disaster assistance below:

Federal Assistance

SBA Business Physical Damage Loan: Apply Here

Application Deadline: October 30, 2023

Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the
business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan: Apply Here

Application Deadline: May 31, 2024

If you have suffered substantial economic injury and are one of the following types of businesses located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL):

  • Small Business
  • Small agricultural cooperative
  • Most private nonprofit organizations

Eligibility & Requirements:

  • In the Florida counties of: Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee, and Taylor; for economic injury only in the contiguous Florida counties of: Alachua, Baker, Hillsborough, Leon, Marion, Polk, Sumter, Union, and Wakulla.
  • Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to SBA.
  • Applicants must show the ability to repay all loans.
  • Uninsured Losses – Only uninsured or otherwise uncompensated disaster losses are eligible. Any insurance proceeds which are required to be applied against outstanding mortgages are not available to fund disaster repairs and do not reduce loan eligibility. However, any insurance proceeds voluntarily applied to any outstanding mortgages do reduce loan eligibility.
  • Ineligible Property – Secondary homes, personal pleasure boats, airplanes, recreational vehicles and similar property are not eligible, unless used for business purposes. Property such as antiques and collections are eligible only to the extent of their functional value. Amounts for landscaping, swimming pools, etc., are limited.
  • Noncompliance – Applicants who have not complied with the terms of previous SBA loans may not be eligible. This includes borrowers who did not maintain flood and/or hazard insurance on previous SBA loans.

How to Apply

Applicants are encouraged to apply online for a disaster loan. Please call the SBA at 800‐659‐2955 if you have any questions. SBA's disaster call center hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET, and Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET.

Additional Information

View SBA Florida Disaster Declaration Fact Sheet here

State Assistance

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan: Apply Here

Application Deadline: October 25, 2023

The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program provides short-term, zero-interest working capital loans that are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims or other resources.

Loans are available up to $50,000 per eligible applicant. Loans made under this program are short-term, personal loans using State of Florida funds – they are not grants and must be repaid.

Eligibility & Requirements:

  • Your business must be located in Florida
  • Your business must have been established prior to August 29, 2023
  • Your business must be located in an eligible county. Businesses in Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Colombia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla counties are eligible to apply.
  • Your business must have been economically injured or physically damaged by Hurricane Idalia.
  • Businesses with 2-100 employees
  • Credit Score of 580 or above
  • You must have repaid all outstanding previous Emergency Bridge Loans.

Loan Terms

  • Loans are available up to $50,000 per eligible applicant ($100,000 higher limit for agricultural small businesses; and $5 million set aside for agricultural small businesses).
  • Term: One year
  • Loans may only be made to individuals who own at least 51% of an Eligible Business.
  • The Borrower(s) and Eligible Business must serve as guarantors for the loan. 
  • Only one loan may be made per Eligible Applicant.

Ineligible Businesses include short term rentals, those engaged in illegal activities, loan packaging, speculation, multi-sales distribution, gambling, investment or lending or where the owner is on parole.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for all owners on the application to be considered complete:

  1. A copy of the owner(s) driver's license(s) or passport(s) for all owners on the application. This must include the front and back of the document.
  2. Current Business Tax Return, Most Current Year (All Pages) at a minimum, previous year’s Federal income tax returns for the applicant’s business, including all schedules, such as Form 1040, Form 1065, Form 1120, and Form 1120S (as applicable).
  3. Current Personal Tax Return, Most Current Year (All Pages) for all owners on the application.
  4. Documentation showing minimum of 2 employees – independent contractors or 1099s do count as employees. Documentation can be copies of employees’ W-2s, IRS Form 941 and/or Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return.
  5. Copy of a voided check

IRS transcripts are accessible at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Additional Information

You will need to complete all sections and upload all required documents for your application to be considered complete and proceed to the review and loan decision process.

If you have any additional questions regarding FloridaCommerce's loan programs, please call 1-833-832-4494 or email EmergencyBridgeLoan@commerce.fl.gov.