Preparing for the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant

The Shuttered Venue Operator Grant from SBA, providing emergency assistance for eligible venues affected by the COVID pandemic, is still not yet accepting applications. However, we believe the demand will be high once the application portal is open and would like our partners to be as prepared as possible to secure funding if eligible. In a past post, we provided you with Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Information, including eligibility requirements and links to an FAQ sheet and informational webinar.

Here is a list of recommendations provided directly by Americans for the Arts to prepare your business or organization in advance for the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant application.

1. If you or your organization does not already have a Dunn and Bradstreet DUNS Number, get one.
2. Use your DUNS number to register in the federal government’s System for Award Management (SAM). You can’t simply use a Taxpayer or Employer ID Number to apply for an SVO grant. (Note: It could take up to two weeks to finalize a SAM registration.)
3. Gather documents that demonstrate your number of employees and monthly revenues so you can calculate the average number of qualifying employees you had over the prior 12 months.
4. Determine your gross earned revenue losses. It looks like SBA is going to use the Gross Earned Revenue definition to determine Priority Eligibility, but it’s not confirmed yet.
5. Determine the extent of gross earned revenue loss you experienced between 2019 and 2020 on a quarterly basis.
6. Make PDFs of additional information such as floor plans, contract copies and other evidence that will be needed to apply for an SVO grant.
7. Sign up for a regional mailing list and webinar in your area and develop a direct relationship.
8. Ask the SBA specific questions about SVO eligibility by e-mailing [email protected].

We’d like to thank Americans for the Arts for sharing this proactive advice, and hope our partners are able to benefit in advance from their insight.