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Administration's Business Outreach on COVID-19 Efforts

The Department of Commerce has asked that we share the information below with you and other industry stakeholders to provide an update on the Administration’s Business Outreach on COVID-19 Efforts (updated 3/31/20) along with helpful links that may be useful to you and your company or organizations. You can also reach out to the team in DOC/ITA’s Office of Health and Information Technologies (OHIT) at: (202) 482-0359.



Assistance for Small Businesses 

The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.

Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards.

Assistance for Small Businesses

Here are direct links to several useful documents on treasury.gov:

How to apply:

You can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating. All loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or borrower. A list of participating lenders as well as additional information and full terms can be found at www.sba.gov.

The Paycheck Protection Program is implemented by the Small Business Administration with support from the Department of the Treasury. Lenders should also visit www.sba.gov or www.coronavirus.gov for more information.



IRS provides guidance under the CARES Act to taxpayers with net operating losses

This valuable NOL provision allows your company to use tax losses from 2018, 2019 and 2020 to offset income from the prior five years. The new tax deadline extension builds on prior IRS guidance and now allows you to delay certain estimated tax payments. Per the IRS, “any individual or corporation that has a quarterly estimated tax payment due on or after April 1, 2020, and before July 15, 2020, can wait until July 15 to make that payment, without penalty.”

CARES Act Guidance

30 Days to Slow the Spread

Today President Trump announced the extension of the Coronavirus Guidelines for America for an additional 30 days through Friday, April 30th. The recommendations are simple to follow and will continue to have a resounding impact on public health. Please click here for more information: 30 Days to Slow the Spread (Español)

How to Help
If you or your organization are interested in helping the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, FEMA has established a website with more information. Examples for the private sector include:

  • To sell medical supplies or equipment to the federal government, please submit a price quote under the COVID-19 PPE and Medical Supplies Request for Quotation. Full details can be found in the solicitation (Notice ID 70FA2020R00000011).
  • This solicitation requires registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to be considered for award, pursuant to applicable regulations and guidelines. Registration information can be found at www.sam.gov. Registration must be “ACTIVE” at the time of award.
  • If you have medical supplies or equipment to donate, please provide us details on what you are offering.
  • If you are a private company that wants to produce a product related to the COVID response – email nbeoc@max.gov.
  • If you are a hospital or healthcare provider in need of medical supplies, please contact your state, local, tribal or territory department of public health and/or emergency management agency.
  • If you are interested in doing business with FEMA and supporting the response to COVID-19 with your company’s non-medical goods and/or services, please submit your inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Procurement Action Innovative Response Team (PAIR) team at DHSIndustryLiaison@hq.dhs.gov.

For additional information please visit FEMA’s website.



Additional Sites of Interest

White House COVID-19 Updates
President Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island

IRS: Economic Impact Payments: What You Need To Know (HERE)
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today announced that distribution of economic impact payments will begin in the next three weeks and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. However, some seniors and others who typically do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the stimulus payment.

Treasury Delays Tax and Reporting Due Dates for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Ammunition Businesses Hit by COVID-19 (HERE)
The Treasury Department is delaying tax payment due dates for wine, beer, distilled spirits, tobacco products, firearms, and ammunition excise taxes, to provide flexibility for businesses that have been negatively affected by COVID-19.

Secretary Azar Statement on FDA Authorization of Mask Sterilization Procedure (HERE)
On Sunday, the Food and Drug Administration issued a revised Emergency Use Authorization to allow the large-scale use of a system created by Battelle Memorial Institute to decontaminate used N95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Optimizing Ventilator Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic (HERE)
HHS and FEMA are working with multiple partners that include healthcare systems, academic institutions, professional medical societies, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine to develop crisis standards of care strategies for ventilator support when resources are limited.

FDA Continues to Accelerate Development of Novel Therapies for COVID-19 (HERE)
As part of the Trump Administration’s all-hands-on-deck approach across public, academic and private sectors to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stood up a new program to expedite the development of potentially safe and effective life-saving treatments.

FEMA: Non-Congregate Sheltering FAQs (HERE)
This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about non-congregate sheltering during the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration of a Public Health Emergency for COVID-19.

FEMA: Emergency Medical Care Fact Sheet (HERE)
This fact sheet provides additional guidance related to the eligibility of emergency medical care activities as an emergency protective measure under the Emergency Declaration and any Major Disaster Declaration authorizing Public Assistance for COVID-19.

Readout of the U.S. Department of Education’s COVID-19 Conference Call with Higher Education Stakeholders (HERE)
Secretary DeVos, along with several senior Department officials, held a conference call today with higher education leaders to provide an update on the Trump Administration’s whole-of-government response to the coronavirus national emergency.

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Show Cause Order (HERE)
The U.S. Department of Transportation today issued a show cause order proposing parameters for initially implementing the authority granted to the Secretary of Transportation by Sections 4005 and 4114 of the CARES Act

EPA Takes Action to Assure Availability of Disinfectant Products for Use Against the Novel Coronavirus (HERE)
EPA will temporarily allow manufacturers of certain already-registered EPA disinfectants to obtain certain active ingredients from any source of suppliers without checking with the agency first.

State: The U.S. Role in International Organizations’ Response to COVID-19 (HERE)
The United States is by far the most generous and reliable contributor to crisis response and humanitarian action through the United Nations and dozens of international organizations. U.S. assistance, monetary and in-kind contributions, expertise and technology, are indispensable to the effort to combat COVID-19.

Corps of Engineers Teams Evaluate Sites as Possible Alternate Care Facilities (HERE)
At the request of FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams are evaluating facilities for possible conversion into alternate care facilities as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joint Staff Ops Official Breaks Down DOD Aid to Fight Coronavirus (HERE)
DOD is going all out to support civilian agencies confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, the vice director of operations for the Joint Staff said.

VA Expands Virtual Services to Support Veterans amid Regional Office Closures Due to Covid-19 Pandemic (HERE)
Veterans continue to receive benefits and services after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Benefits Administration temporarily closed its 56 regional offices to the public, March 19, in response to COVID-19. Many in-person services are already available via the phone or online through virtual options like VA Video Connect. VBA has and continues to adjust to ensure the safety and well-being of its clients and staff.

For the most up-to-date information, please see the CDC’s website: www.coronavirus.gov.