Help is Here

The Florida SBDC Network and our state and federal partners remain committed to helping you access the disaster capital and resources your business needs to recover and reopen.

As during any disaster, we are here to help your business recover. Our team of disaster specialists are available to provide confidential, no-cost consulting and direction to help you assess and prepare disaster loan applications and assist with other post-disaster challenges.

Business Damage Assessment Survey (BDA)

Florida’s Business Damage Assessment Survey is now activated to assess the needs of Florida business owners impacted by Hurricane Helene. If your business was affected by the storm, please fill out the survey here.

Available Assistance

Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan - Apply Now

Florida farmers, ranchers, and growers impacted by Hurricane Helene will be able to apply for low-interest and interest-free loans through the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program.

Important Information

  • Low-interest or interest-free loans up to $500,000 for eligible agriculture and aquaculture producers that have experienced damage or destruction from Hurricane Helene.
  • Loans may be used to restore, repair, or replace essential physical property, including fences, equipment, greenhouses, and other buildings, or to remove vegetative debris.
  • Interested producers can learn more or apply here.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must own a bona fide farm operation on land classified as agricultural pursuant to Section 193.461, F.S., or lease sovereign submerged land pursuant to Section 597.010, F.S.
  • The farm or aquaculture facility must be located in a qualifying county.
    • Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.
  • Applicants must have experienced damage or destruction due to a qualifying disaster.
  • If an applicant is not the owner of the property, please have the property owner complete the Authorized Representative Form [ pdf 83.6 kB ] before applying for a loan.
  • Loan funds may only be used to restore, repair or replace essential physical property or remove vegetative debris from essential physical property. 
  • You must be at least 18 years old.
  • Applicants must not have accepted financial assistance from another state or federal disaster relief program, which would render an approved applicant ineligible for other financial assistance.
  • You must complete all sections and upload all required documents for your application to be considered complete and proceed to the review and loan decision process.
  • Applicants must understand that any changes that would alter an applicant’s answers or affect an applicant’s eligibility to participate in the program must be reported to FDACS immediately.

Note: As outlined in Florida Statute, an applicant may not receive more than one loan per application period, more than two loans within a 12-month period, based on the date of their first loan application, or more than five loans in any three-year period. For instance, if an applicant was approved for their first loan in January, and their second loan in July of the same year, they will be ineligible to be approved for an additional loan until January of the following year.

APPLY NOW

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan - Apply Now

Deadline to Apply: November 24, 2024

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.

Eligibility requirements

  • Your business must be located in Florida.
  • Your business must have been established prior to September 23, 2024
  • Your business must be located in an eligible county:
  • Your business must have been economically injured or physically damaged by Hurricane Helene.
  • Your business must employ 100 employees or less.
  • Credit Score of 600 or above.
  • You must have repaid all outstanding previous Emergency Bridge Loans.

Loan terms

  • Max Amount: up to $50,000 (Maximum Amount for Agriculture or Aquaculture is $100,000)
  • 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

APPLY NOW

SBA Business Physical Disaster Loan - Apply Now

Deadline to Apply: November 27, 2024

Eligibility

  • Located in eligible Florida county: Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor, and Wakulla
  • Up to $2 million to qualified businesses or most private nonprofit organizations to cover disaster losses not fully covered by insurance.
  • Covers disaster losses not fully covered by insurance or other sources. If required to apply insurance proceeds to an outstanding mortgage on the damaged property, that amount can be included in your disaster loan application.
  • Proceeds from insurance coverage on business property may be deducted from the eligible loan amount.

Use of proceeds

Loan proceeds may be used for the repair or replacement of the following:

  • Real property
  • Machinery
  • Equipment
  • Fixtures
  • Inventory
  • Leasehold improvements

Disaster loan funds may not be used to upgrade or expand a business, except as required by building codes. If you apply for mitigation assistance to make improvements that help reduce the risk of future property damage, you may be eligible for up to a 20% loan amount increase above the real estate damage, as verified by SBA. 

Terms

  • First payment deferred for 12 months 
  • No interest accrual for the first 12 months 

For applicants unable to obtain credit elsewhere:

  • The interest rate will not exceed 4%

For applicants who can obtain credit elsewhere:

  • The interest rate will not exceed 8%

SBA will determine whether an applicant can obtain credit elsewhere.

Collateral requirements

  • Collateral is required to the extent possible for physical damage loans over $25,000 in Presidential declarations and $14,000 in agency declarations.
  • Real estate is the preferred collateral. Loans of $200,000 or less will not require the owner of the business to use their primary residence as collateral if it is determined the owner has other assets of equal quality and of a value equal to or greater than the amount of the loan.
APPLY NOW

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan - Apply Now

Deadline to Apply: June 30, 2025

Eligibility

  • Located in eligible Florida county: Alachua, Collier, DeSoto, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Leon, Liberty, Marion, Polk, Sumter, and Suwannee
  • Substantial economic injury means the business is unable to meet its financial obligations and pay its regular and necessary operating expenses
  • Loss of expected profits or a decline in sales is not considered substantial economic injury
  • EIDL provides the necessary working capital to help small businesses impacted by a disaster survive until normal operations resume 
  • EIDL assistance is available only to small businesses when SBA determines they are unable to obtain credit elsewhere
  • Businesses must meet the following criteria to qualify for economic injury:
    • The business was directly impacted by the disaster
    • The business cannot cover expenses due to the disaster and/or debt payments
    • The business was physically located in the declared disaster area

SBA can provide loans to help cover the costs and expenses that your business would have been able to handle if the disaster did not happen. The EIDL amount will depend on how much financial impact you have experienced and your company’s financial needs, even if you didn't suffer any property damage.

Use of proceeds

  • Working capital and normal expenses such as the continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments
  • EIDL funds cannot be used for expanding facilities, buying fixed assets, repairing physical damages, refinancing debt, paying out dividends or bonuses, or paying back loans to stockholders or principals

Terms

  • First payment deferred for 12 months 
  • No interest accrual for the first 12 months
  • The interest rate will not exceed 4%

Collateral requirements

  • Required for loans over $25,000
  • Real estate is the preferred collateral. Loans of $200,000 or less will not require the owner of the business to use their primary residence as collateral if it is determined the owner has other assets of equal quality and a value equal to or greater than the amount of the loan.
APPLY NOW