Scott Dolch, Executive Director, CRA led the January educational webinar on loans and grants with guests Wendell G. Davis, New England Regional Administrator, U.S. SBA and Catherine Marx, Connecticut District Director, U.S. SBA.

As restaurants and small businesses continue to seek more funding for revenue lost due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) hosted a virtual industry update meeting on Jan. 19 to discuss the latest aid and grants available through state and federal programs. In response to the passage of the federal Coronavirus Relief Package in December 2020, allowing eligible small businesses to apply for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, the meeting featured representatives from the regional U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as guests to discuss the PPP loan process. Wendell G. Davis, New England Regional Administrator, U.S. SBA, and Catherine Marx, Connecticut District Director, U.S. SBA, gave presentations and answered CRA member questions live on the PPP loan process. More small-business aid is on the horizon from President Joseph Biden’s American Rescue Plan, with $15 billion in small-business grants expected, along with more direct cash payments, an unemployment insurance extension and an extension of the Eviction and Foreclosure Moratoriums, among other relief measures.