COVID-19 Resource List

This curated list of resources is intended to direct business owners to information that is most relevant and helpful; it is not intended to be comprehensive or exhaustive. Updated July 27, 2020.

Federal Government Resources

• Coronavirus Resources from the U.S. Department of Labor provides links to information on workplace safety, wages, hours, and leave, unemployment, and much more.
• Plan, Prepare, and Respond to COVID-19 with these resources from the Centers for Disease Control.
• The Small Business Administration is helping businesses impacted by COVID-19 with disaster loans and economic injury loans. The Lender Match tool connects small businesses directly to SBA-approved lenders.
• Guidelines on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration gives employers a downloadable guide to prepare for an outbreak at a worksite by implementing traditional infection protection and industrial hygiene practices.
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The temporary rule is effective from April 2, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
• The IRS is offering new employer tax credits for paid family leave and paid sick leave to help businesses affected by COVID-19.

Washington State Government Resources

• Governor Jay Inslee’s Office provides links to the governor’s press releases, executive orders, media advisories, proclamations, and other information.
• Washington State Coronavirus Response is a central resource for information and assistance related to the pandemic. Includes links to programs for workers and businesses and county COVID-19 web pages. Visit safe start page to carefully plan for reopening your business.
• COVID-19 Resources for Employers and Workers from the Department of Labor & Industries provides extensive guidance for both workers and employees on paid sick leave, disability and unemployment, paid family leave, workplace health and safety, employment assistance, work sharing program, and more.
• Department of Revenue has extensive information regarding business relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Department of Commerce is providing business resiliency assistance by partnering with organizations that serve economically disadvantaged communities across the state.
• Office of Insurance Commissioner provides resources to help you navigate your health insurance,  business and commercial insurance, event cancellation insurance, and provides updates about coronavirus and insurance.
• The Small Business Administration Seattle District Office hosts webinars and local events to assist local small businesses.

Know Your Rights/Resources for Workers and Families

• WashingtonLawHelp.org provides detailed and practical information on rights and benefits related to sick leave, family and medical leave, eviction and housing protection, and unemployment assistance.
• The Unemployment Law Project has webinars and resources to answer questions about COVID-19 and unemployment benefits.
• The King County Sheriff’s Office has announced that until further notice, it will not enforce residential or commercial evictions. Evictions may, however, continue to be filed in the King County Superior Court.
• The Employment Security Department provides detailed information regarding the state’s paid family/medical leave program in response to COVID-19 and has established detailed guides for your situation.
• Washington Healthplanfinder, the state’s health insurance exchange, has opened a special enrollment period for qualified individuals who are or become uninsured. Some may be eligible for Apple Health (Medicaid).
• Restaurant Workers Community Foundation has established a COVID-19 Relief Fund that grants direct relief to individual restaurant workers.
• Artist Trust Relief Fund is providing rapid response grants supporting the critical needs of artists and Artwork Archive is providing financial assistance for artists affected by COVID-19.

Information and Resources for Small Businesses and Non-Profit Organizations

• The Foster Consulting and Business Development Center at University of Washington sponsors the Recovery to Sustainable Growth series for business owners and entrepreneurs, with topics ranging from inventory and supply chain management, cash flow and debt, negotiation strategies, using technology to engage customers, and adapting to the reality of COVID-19.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce has stimulus aid and SBA resource guides, and dozens of Washington small business development centers provide no-cost business consulting and assistance.
• Coronavirus Small Business Resource Hub provides free business assistance and information on SBA loans and the CARES Act through remote mentoring, live webinars and online workshops.
• Stanford Law School’s COVID-19 Memo Database provides memoranda regarding legal matters of the current COVID-19 crisis, generated by leading U.S. law firms, the four major audit firms, and a leading insurance broker.
• City of Seattle provides a number of resources for businesses, including a weekly small business update webinar, and the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED): Resources for Businesses offers free one-on-one help navigating and applying for relief assistance, and additional technical support and resources for businesses. OED also hosts a weekly Wednesday webinar with the latest updates on local and national support. And, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards: Employer Resources provides resources and answers to questions about how Seattle’s labor standards apply to businesses.
• Seattle Public Library maintains a curated page of resources to support the communities most impacted by COVID-19 and the economic crisis. The page is updated as additional needs and resources emerge. The Library to Business podcast is an archive of small business workshops and advice from business experts on how to plan, launch and operate a business, and recordings are available in Spanish and English.
• Seattle Good Business Network helps build a resilient local economy by uniting local businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, investors, and citizens who are committed to buying, producing and investing locally.
• OpenforBusiness.org curated a list of technology companies that are helping small businesses by enabling remote work during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources are available from the Small Business Administration, which provides comprehensive information on available programs, including small-business loans, debt relief grants, and paycheck protection insurance. Easily find local assistance as well.
• A Small Business Crisis Planner is available from StartUp Washington to help small businesses minimize the impact of the crisis.
• Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center provides online resources for taxpayers who file Form 1040 or 1040-SR, Schedules C, E, F or Form 2106, as well as small businesses with assets under $10 million.
• Port of Seattle provides port-wide information to the community, and updates with major policy or protocol changes. Daily airport updates and airport FAQ give SEA-specific news. The Port of Seattle Newsroom is also a great resource filled with useful information.
• Kauffman Foundation provides a guide to helping small businesses navigate the COVID-19 crisis.
• American Bar Association Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force launched a website that provides information on legal resources and emerging legal issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Law in the Time of COVID-19 was a Spring 2020 UW Law course addressing the wide array of legal issues related to the pandemic. In addition to the course recordings, materials include Guides, Legal and Policy Resources, and a collection of COVID-19 Current Awareness news sources. 
• Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center has created a COVID-19 Resource Navigator as a one-stop shop for the information entrepreneurs need in areas such as business strategy, marketing, and wellness, to name a few.

Financial Relief and Grants for Small Businesses

• CARES Act Small Business Funding is a summary of financial resources available to help companies (and non-profit organizations) maintain business operations (loans, grants, payroll assistance, etc.). Free webinars to help understand and access the CARES Act are available through the Port of Seattle. These free educational sessions help small businesses pinpoint how the relief bill can assist them. Dates, times, and registration information can be found here.
• Disaster Loan Assistance is available through the Small Business Administration, and the Washington SBDC is offering webinars and other online training opportunities for the SBA application process.
• Small Business Relief Tracker provides updated funding, grants, and resources information for business owners grappling with coronavirus.
• Business Impact NW provides low-interest loans to community-based nonprofits and small businesses, with more flexible criteria than traditional financial institutions. Additionally, it provides free, one-on-one business coaching.
• Facebook Small Business Grants Program will be providing up to 30,000 small businesses $100 million in cash grants and ad credits amid the growing crisis.
• Restaurant Workers Community Foundation has established a COVID-19 Relief Fund that provides zero-interest loans to help restaurants re-open.
• The Employee Retention Credit under the CARES Act encourages businesses to keep employees on their payroll. Frequently asked questions about eligibility, tax credits, and qualified wages.
• The USPTO is offering free expedited patent application reviews for small and micro entities developing product or processes for use in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and has created a portal where patent owners can post COVID-related patents that are available for licensing.

Financial Relief and Grants for Non-Profit Organizations

• All In Seattle will contribute millions to proven nonprofits that can deliver assistance to those most in need.
• Restaurant Workers Community Foundation has established a COVID-19 Relief Fund that provides grants to non-profit organizations serving restaurant workers in crisis.
• Seattle Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund will assist nonprofit organizations that work with communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and its consequences.

R&D Funding and Grants for Life Sciences Businesses

• BIO Summary of CARES Act is an overview of key provisions that relate to life science companies, and provides an initial list of essential businesses with life science and medical supply chain exemptions.
• The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the Department of Health and Human Services received $2B to invest in research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to combat COVID-19. BARDA is pursuing the following: vaccines, diagnostics, potential therapeutics, ventilators, immunomodulators or therapeutics targeting lung repair, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, and respiratory protective devices.
• BARDA DRIVe Accelerator provides technical and financial resources to entrepreneurs whose ideas have the potential to transform emergency preparedness, detection, and response. Life Science Washington Institute has been selected as one of 13 sites in the DRIVe Accelerator Network to help identify relevant researchers and companies and connect them with the DRIVe team.
• Coronavirus Funding Monitor is a centralized portal of current funding opportunities for the research community. It offers a curated list of open funding calls and other support for researchers, non-profit organizations, and commercial organizations, specifically for COVID-19 and coronavirus-related research and treatment.
• FDA Template for Diagnostics EUA is a COVID-19 Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) template for diagnostic developers, available upon request. Sponsors interested in potential EUA for tests to detect COVID-19 may contact CDRH-EUA-Templates@fda.hhs.gov. COVID-19 molecular assays for mature, FDA-cleared, widely placed devices are of great interest to the FDA.
• Gates-Wellcome Trust-Mastercard COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator is providing an additional commitment of $150 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of therapeutics for COVID-19. The accelerator aims to identify, assess, develop, and scale up treatments. The foundation will also leverage a portion of its $2.5 billion Strategic Investment Fund, which uses a suite of financial tools to address market failures and incentivize private enterprise to develop affordable and accessible health products.
• The Division of Innovation and Industrial Partnerships invites U.S.-based small businesses to submit Phase I proposals focused on the development and deployment of new technologies, products, processes, and services with the ability to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
• Workers and facilities supporting essential research, development, operations and clinical trials, including biotech therapies, are deemed essential.
• InfoEd Global, a provider of software that supports the Electronic Research Administration, has compiled a library of COVID-19 funding opportunities and resources.

Research and Analysis of COVID-19’s Impact on Small Businesses

Many research institutions and policy groups have published information on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and are providing free access to help business owners understand, assess, and address the problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

RAND COVID-19 Research Insights

• Tapping Business Interruption Insurance Coverage to Assist Small Business During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Benefits and Drawbacks

Brookings Institution

• Businesses owned by women and minorities have grown. Will COVID-19 undo that?
• How local leaders can stave off a small business collapse from COVID-19
• Coronavirus economic relief cannot neglect Black-owned business
• What the Great Recession can tell us about the COVID-19 small business crisis

University of Chicago Rustandy Center

• How are Americans coping with the COVID-19 crisis? 7 key findings from household survey

Harvard Business Review

• Special Coverage on COVID-19
• A Way Forward for Small Businesses