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Late Tuesday, April 21, 2020, the Senate passed more than $480 billion in new funding for small business assistance, hospitals, and virus testing. After nearly two weeks of negotiations on an interim funding package, lawmakers agreed to an additional $320 billion for the depleted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The House is scheduled to vote on…
Read MoreBy Jacob Ogles, Editor Democrats in the Florida Legislature called for more funding to be put in the state’s Small Business Emergency Loan Program and for the federal government to better fund the Paycheck Protection Program created by the CARES Act. “I don’t think there was parity in how those bridge loans were distributed, and…
Read MoreFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the 22 members who will serve as the Executive Committee of the newly-created “Re-Open Florida Task Force.” The Governor gave introductory remarks at the first official teleconference meeting of the executive committee. The meeting’s agenda also included an overview of Florida’s economy given by Florida Chamber President & CEO Mark Wilson and Chamber Foundation Chief…
Read MoreDr. Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA, President & CEO, is proud to share this exciting announcement: “We are excited to announce that Lee Health was accepted and registered as a participating site in Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Study. Starting Monday, April 20, patients who are admitted to Lee Health hospitals with proven SARS-COV-2 infection (the…
Read MoreTallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced $75 million is now available to local governments through the Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program. The Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program allows local governments and state agencies to increase the resilience of critical facilities that serve a public safety purpose for local…
Read MoreThe Coronavirus crisis has created a financial burden to small businesses everywhere, causing a ripple effect that impacts not just our economy, but our citizens. To help offset this financial strain for small businesses, a group of corporate and philanthropic partners have come together to create the “Save Small Business Fund”. The goal of this…
Read MoreFlorida SBDC Network Headquarters (Pensacola, Fla.) – With the assistance of the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the administrator of the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program has received more than 38,000 applications since the program was first activated on March 17. As…
Read MoreFort Myers, FL, April 2, 2020 – Lee County businesses seeking information about recovery assistance can access a newly launched Business Assistance Portal at www.leegov.com/covid-19/business or by calling the Business Assistance Hotline at 239-533-2273 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The Business Assistance Portal is an online tool meant to provide information to businesses and not-for-profit…
Read MoreThe US and global economy are in uncharted waters at this time. Florida is no different. Functioning critical infrastructure is imperative during the response to the COVID-19 emergency for both public health, safety and community well-being. It will be even more important in the critical recovery effort to follow. In Florida, manufacturers are identified as…
Read MoreFort Myers, FL, April 7, 2020 – Small businesses are suffering the most due to COVID-19, according to an initial survey conducted to understand the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Southwest Florida. The COVID-19 Economic Impact Survey was designed to allow company executives to voice concerns about the impact of the pandemic on…
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