On July 28, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a report titled, “Serious Concerns of Potential Fraud in the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program Pertaining to the Response to COVID-19.” The report identifies and summarizes OIG’s “serious concerns” of potential fraud and calls for “immediate attention and
Coronavirus Update: The SBA Discloses Recipient Identity and Other Information for PPP Loans of $150,000 and Above
On July 6, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has made publicly available various types of information about all Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and targeted media scrutiny has immediately followed. For loans of $150,000 and above, the SBA has released the loan range (e.g., $150,000 – 350,000, $1,000,000 – 2,000,000, $5,000,000 – 10,000,000) and
Coronavirus Update: SBA and Treasury Release New Forgiveness Applications and Revise Interim Final Rules to Conform to New PPP Flexibility Act Requirements
On Wednesday June 17th, SBA and Treasury issued a revised Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application implementing the extended 24-week “covered period” and the reduction in payroll cost limitation on forgiveness from 75% to 60% of costs, per the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020 enacted June 5, 2020. In addition to revising
Coronavirus Update: New Interim Final Rule Clarifies Key Changes in Paycheck Protection Program
On June 11, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) posted a new interim final rule (the IFR) which clarifies certain key changes made to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (Act). We addressed in a previous alert how the Act, signed into law on June 5, 2020,
Coronavirus Update: President Signs New Paycheck Protection Program Changes into Law Offering Greater Flexibility
On June 5, 2020, President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, which makes important changes to many aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including extending the minimum maturity period, extending the forgiveness period, reducing the payroll cost limitation on forgiveness, while eliminating forgiveness if such reduced threshold is not
All Things Protest: CICA Stay Overrides
Crowell & Moring’s “All Things Protest” podcast keeps you up to date on major trends in bid protest litigation, key developments in high-profile cases, and best practices in state and federal procurement. In this episode, hosts Rob Sneckenberg, Olivia Lynch, and Christian Curran discuss the importance of the automatic Competition in Contracting Act stay triggered
Coronavirus Update: The SBA Changes the PPP Eligibility Ground Rules – Providing New Calculation of Employee Count for Affiliates With Questions Remaining on Applicable Headcount for Applicants
On May 18, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a new interim final rule addressing the confusion raised by the SBA’s FAQ 44 on how PPP applicants are to count employees of foreign and U.S. affiliates for purposes of determining eligibility against the 500 or fewer employee size standard provided for in the CARES
Coronavirus Update: SBA Releases Complex PPP Loan Forgiveness Application, Creating Further Need for Guidance
On May 15, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application which is comprised of a PPP Loan Forgiveness Calculation Form (SBA Form 3508), including related certifications, and worksheets to assist in making the calculations. Although the SBA has yet to release further guidance on PPP Loan
Coronavirus Update: The SBA Extends the Safe Harbor Deadline for Return of PPP Loans to May 18, 2020
Yesterday we reported on the publication of FAQ 46 by the Small Business Administration (SBA) regarding the economic necessity certification contained in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application and that the safe harbor deadline of May 14, 2020 remained in place. Late last night though, the SBA issued FAQ 47 in which it automatically extended
Coronavirus Update: SBA Extends “Safe Harbor” for Return of PPP Loans, Promises Further Guidance on the Economic Need Certification, and Creates Further Confusion Related to Its 500 Employee Standard
On May 5, 2020—a mere two days before the close of the “safe harbor” period established by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for borrowers to return Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans if recipients did not believe they could make the economic need certification in good faith—Treasury and the SBA have updated their FAQ document with