Sponsored By

President Joe Biden opens up PPP loan period just for businesses with fewer than 20 employeesPresident Joe Biden opens up PPP loan period just for businesses with fewer than 20 employees

Biden also tweaked PPP loan rules to help self-employed individuals, non-citizen U.S. residents and individuals with prior non-fraud felony convictions

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

February 22, 2021

1 Min Read
ppp loan Biden
Biden aimed to open up PPP loan ease and eligibility to smaller businesses and disadvantaged Americans.DoraDalton / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Joanna Fantozzi

President Joe Biden announced Monday adjustments to the Paycheck Protection Program designed to aid smaller businesses in applying for loans. Starting Wednesday, at 9 a.m. EST for a 14-day period, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees (comprising 98% of small businesses) will be able to apply for PPP loans, giving lenders a chance to focus on the smallest Main Street businesses.  

Other changes Biden announced he would make to the Paycheck Protection Program include:

  • Tweaking the “loan calculation formula” to help sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed business owners receive more support.

  • Setting aside $1 billion for businesses without employees in low and moderate-income areas.

  • Allowing non-citizen small business owners who are U.S. residents to use their ITINs (Individual Tax Identification Numbers) to apply for relief.

  • Removing the previous PPP loan eligibility requirement that prevented small business owners from receiving funds if they had prior, non-fraud felony convictions.

  • Eliminating a restriction that excluded business owners from receiving PPP loans if they were delinquent on or have defaulted on any of their federal student loan debt within the last seven years.  

This deadline for this round of PPP funding for all businesses ends March 31.

Read more here: President Biden adjusts PPP lending rules to better aid small businesses.

Contact Joanna at [email protected]

Find her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.