Florida SBDC Network Headquarters (Pensacola, Fla.) – Small businesses and citrus growers located in Florida that suffered physical and/or economic injury from Hurricane Irma have through November 30, 2017 to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program and Citrus Emergency Loan Program.

Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, in collaboration with the Florida SBDC Network, and supported by Florida First Capital Finance Corporation (FFCFC), the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan and Citrus Emergency Loan Program are short-term, interest-free working capital loans intended to help small businesses and citrus growers “bridge the gap” between the time of impact and when the business has secured long-term recovery resources, such as insurance proceeds or federal disaster assistance.

For-profit, privately-held small businesses that maintain a place of business in the state of Florida are eligible for loans between $1,000 and $50,000 for up to 180-day terms. Citrus businesses who maintain a citrus grove in production in the state are eligible for up to $150,000 for a loan term of one year.

All qualified applicants must have been established prior to Sept. 4, 2017, and suffered physical damage and/or economic injury as a result of the designated disaster. Small business applicants must be an employer business with a minimum of two and maximum of 100 employees. The employee requirement does not apply to citrus businesses.

For more information, and to apply, please visit www.FloridaDisasterLoan.org.

For questions about the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan and Citrus Emergency Loan Programs and how the Florida SBDC can help, please contact the Florida SBDC nearest you. The Florida SBDC Network has also established a business disaster hotline for questions at (850) 898-3489 or Disaster@FloridaSBDC.org.

About the Florida SBDC Network:

For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [ Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy. Since 2011, Florida SBDCs have provided 513,107 hours of professional business consulting to 74,669 client businesses, resulting in 252,955 jobs created, retained, or saved; $33.3 billion in sales growth; $2.6 billion in government contract awarded; $1.4 billion in capital investments acquired; and 4,159 new businesses started. A statewide network of over 40 offices, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a 2016 recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.