U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) announced $12 million in federal funding for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus in seven cities across Georgia.

Through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Stability (CARES) Act, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding Recovery Assistance grants to capitalize and administer Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs) that will provide critical gap financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs in Georgia that have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.   

“The Trump Administration has taken unprecedented action to protect the American people in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Senator David Perdue. “We shut the economy down – something we’ve never done before – to keep people healthy, and now we’re working to safely reopen. These CARES Act funds will help small businesses continue to weather this crisis and support their communities.”  

“Small businesses employ half of all Americans and have been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Senator Kelly Loeffler. “These grants, provided by the CARES Act, will help small businesses across Georgia keep employees on payroll and not only survive these difficult times, but emerge stronger than before. I appreciate President Trump, Secretary Ross and Assistant Secretary Gartzke’s commitment to supporting Georgia’s small businesses and the roughly 1.7 million Georgians they employ.”

“President Trump is working diligently every day to support our nation’s economy following the impacts of COVID-19 through the CARES Act,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “These investments will provide small businesses across Georgia with the necessary capital to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and, in turn, create a stronger and more resilient state economy for the future.” 

The EDA investments announced today are: 

• CSRA Resource Development Agency, Inc. in Augusta, Georgia will receive a $3.7 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to capitalize and administer a RLF that will provide relief loans to businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by helping them retain employees, sustain operations, and support their communities. CSRA’s service area includes: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes counties. 

• Middle Georgia Regional Commission in Macon, Georgia will receive a $3.3 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to capitalize and administer a RLF to help impacted businesses in Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, and Wilkinson counties with their capital needs as they respond to the coronavirus pandemic. 

• Georgia Mountains Regional Development Commission in Gainesville, Georgia will receive a $2.1 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to boost the region’s economy by capitalizing and administering a RLF to service businesses impacted by coronavirus in Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties. 

• River Valley Regional Development Center in Columbus, Georgia will receive a $1 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to increase their capacity to assess the regional economic impact of the pandemic, strengthen the region’s economic resiliency, and accelerate recovery efforts by capitalizing and administering a RLF to service businesses impacted by coronavirus in Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp,  Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster counties.

• Southern Georgia Regional Commission in Valdosta, Georgia will receive a $825,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to encourage business development and job creation in the region by capitalizing and administering a RLF to service businesses in Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill,  Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware counties. 

• Northwest Georgia Regional Commission in Rome, Georgia will receive a $550,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to capitalizing and administering a RLF that will assist coronavirus impacted businesses in Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties in meeting their capital needs.

• Southwest Georgia Regional Commission in Camilla, Georgia will receive a $550,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to assist small manufacturing companies, manufacturing related services, tech-based businesses, and other businesses impacted by coronavirus by capitalizing and administering a RLF. The Commission’s service area includes: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth counties

Background: 

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.