Small venues can apply for more grant money through SBA program

The U.S. Small Business Administration still has billions of dollars left to award to small, independent venues that remain in survival mode as the COVID-19 delta variant surges across the country.

The SBA will continue accepting new Shuttered Venue Operators Grant applications through Friday, Aug. 20, and will then turn its attention to providing supplemental funding to venues that have already received grants.

The $16.2 billion program approved by Congress in December 2020 has already doled out $8.4 billion in grants to more than 10,800 businesses. SBA data shows that as of Monday, Wichita entities have received $10.2 million of support from the grant program and Kansas entities at large have received $48.3 million.

“It’s insane the amount of money that’s been funneled into our community to allow so many entities to survive,” said Jessie Hartke, who co-owns Wave and the Cotillion Ballroom with her husband, Adam.

Hartke said both venues, which have already been awarded grant money, will apply for supplemental funding as the pandemic drags on.

Supplemental funding will provide venues with up to 50% of their original award amount, with a combined cap of $10 million per venue.

The SBA’s initial program rollout was shaky. When the application portal launched in early April, it promptly crashed within two hours and didn’t go back online for another two weeks.

“More venues went out of business the two weeks after [the application portal crashed] than any time throughout the pandemic,” Hartke told The Eagle in June.

She said the SBA has made its grant administration process significantly more efficient after the clumsy start.

“I think my dog could do a more efficient job than they had originally,” Hartke said.

“It’s gotten much more smooth within the last few weeks. The vast majority of people have received funds. We do know a few entities that are still waiting, but it is minuscule in relation to the original amount.”

Other Wichita entities that have received government assistance include Botanica, Exploration Place, the Sedgwick County Zoo, Ballet Wichita, the Loony Bin, Music Theatre Wichita, Wichita Children’s Theatre, Wichita Festivals, the Wichita Symphony and Roxy’s Downtown.

This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 1:44 PM.