By Staff
Restaurant owners in the coming weeks will be able to apply for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, set up with $28.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan, but the Small Business Administration wants to make sure that it reaches a diverse population of business owners.
Groundwork for the application launch — a date hasn't yet been set — is being rolled out in order to increase outreach and training and make sure there aren't technical issues.
The SBA said that the preparation period is an effort to reach out to diverse stakeholders in order to make sure the organization, which is administering the program, understands the needs and barriers restaurants face in accessing emergency relief. Access for historically overlooked groups was a problem with last year's Payroll Protection Program.