WASHINGTON, DC – On July 28, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) announced 290 venues in district NY-12 will receive a total of $496 million in Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG). Rep. Maloney voted to establish this program, which provides support to hard-hit businesses in the music entertainment, and live event industries that were forced to shut their doors due to the pandemic.

Last month, Congresswoman Maloney joined with more than 200 bipartisan Members of Congress to call on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite the release of these grants. To date, the SBA has approved 9,844 grants, 290 of which are in NY-12.

“I’m glad that the Small Business Administration answered our call to improve its approval process so that these much-needed grants could finally be sent to New York’s entertainment industry,” said Rep. Maloney. “NYC’s small and large music, comedy, and entertainment venues are part and parcel to our city’s spirit and culture. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was created to save these businesses which have struggled immensely during the pandemic. I’m glad they are finally getting the help they need and deserve.”

A full list of NY-12 businesses approved for a SVOG award can be found online: shorturl.at/BCOZ8.

Full SVOG awards data is also available online: https://data.sba.gov/dataset/svog.

Background

The Small Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established through the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package passed in December 2020. More than $16 billion in grant funding was allocated to the SVOG program in the December COVID-19 relief package and the American Rescue Plan.

The American Rescue Plan also instituted a fix to ensure shuttered venues that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans after December 27, 2020 can also receive a SVOG provided that the grant is reduced by the amount of PPP funds received. Applying for both grant programs was previously prohibited.

The SVOG portal remains open and funding is still available for all eligible applicants. Additional information can be found online: shorturl.at/vyJP0.