Restaurants Revitalization Fund: Common Questions & Answers

[Ani_]

Hi Food and Beverage Sellers! 

Square will start enabling applications for the Restaurants Revitalization Fund (RRF) today Monday, May 3rd at 12:00 PM EST. This plan includes a $28.6 billion fund for awards to eligible businesses, administered by the SBA. Square is working with the SBA to help business owners apply for an award if they are eligible. If you meet the program requirements, you can submit your application through your Square Dashboard or through the SBA Portal. If you are eligible to apply through Square, we will pre-fill your application with information you have on your Square account.

I encourage you all to take a look at the Live Q&A: Restaurant Revitalization Fund for Square Food and Beverage Sellers for common questions and answers. I’ve also included an overview of the Live Q&A below:

When can you apply:

• Applications start on Monday 5/3 at 12:00 p.m EST / 9:00 a.m. PST.
• The SBA has a registration window open on Friday 4/30, but if you plan to apply through Square you do not need to register with the SBA. 

Who can apply through Square:

• To determine if you are an eligible business type, you’ll need to visit SBA’s website (sba.gov/restaurants).
  
• If you processed with Square in 2019 and 2020 (Table 1 or 2 in the RRF application), you can apply through Square’s dashboard or the SBA. If you used multiple POS providers during that period or had supplemental income e.g. from online ordering apps, you can still apply with Square. You’ll be able to add supplementary income information — but the SBA may require you to provide additional documentation before you e-sign your application.
  
• If you began processing with Square in 2020 or 2021 (Table 3 in the RRF application), then you will need to apply through the SBA. You can get useful information from your Square account to include in your application — to learn how, please take a look at our Support Center.

Why you should or should not apply with Square

• If you apply through Square can save time completing and submitting your application with pre filled data from your Square account.
  
• Submitting through Square can help you get your application in front of the SBA quickly — before the RRF funds run out.
  
• Square will enable you to add supplemental revenue information in your application for either Table 1 or Table 2 applicant. However, if you are a Table 3 applicant, you will need to apply via SBA because Square will not let you upload supporting documentation for eligible expenses. 

How can you apply with Square:

• If you are eligible to apply through Square, you’ll need to log in to your dashboard when the application window opens, using the owner’s login. From there, you’ll find a specific RRF module from where you can start your application.
  
• Square will have pre-filled your application with the information we know about your business. That said, there is information we do not have access to. To complete your application as fast as possible we recommend to have the following information handy:
• The date (day, month, and year) you began operations.
• How many months you operate in every location. This is especially important if you operate a seasonal business. 
• Any additional income you may have earned in 2019 and 2020 that was not processed through Square. Ideally you are tracking this income by location. If this information is not available feel free to distribute this across locations ensuring the total revenue by location (through Square and other sources)stays under $5M.
• Your PPP loan information — especially if you did not process these loans with Square.
  
• After submitting your award application through your Square Dashboard, you’ll need to eSign your application. Here’s how it works:
• Open an email from Square with the title “Your RRF award application is not yet complete.” Follow the link in the email to visit the SBA portal.
• If you see a page with the title “Third Party Signup,” you are in the right spot. Enter the text you see in the grey pixelated image in the appropriate field and click Complete Sign Up.
• You’ll then receive an email from SBA with the title “SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund - Password Reset E-mail.” Click the link included in the email to reset your password.
• Once you complete your password reset, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Sign and Submit Application to sign your application via DocuSign.
• The SBA may also require additional documentation for your application if you indicated revenue outside of Square. From the SBA portal, you will be able to upload supporting documentation to the Additional Info Needed section if required by the SBA.

How can you get help if you have more questions?

• If you have more granular questions about the application process, eligibility, or awards, please reach out to the designated SBA helpline (844-279-8898) or the SBA district office. Applicants can call this number for multilingual application or program support.
• Reach out to your SBA District Office: Applicants can reach out to their local District Office for tailored regional SBA support.

Note: You will be able to apply through Square if we have available processing data for at least a portion of 2019 and 2020 available through your Square account. If you are able to apply through Square, you will see a module on your online Square Dashboard prompting you to begin the application. If you apply through Square you do not need to register through the SBA portal. If you began processing with Square in either 2020 or 2021, we recommend that you apply through the SBA Portal. Square will not be able to support these applications and you will not see a module on Dashboard to begin your application.

Update: The SBA has announced that they will officially stop accepting applications for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) on Monday, May 24, at 8 p.m. ET.

[TheGrindNH]

Under

[Houtenscafe901]

Just got approved and I'm still shaking. Applied directly with SBA on Monday as priority category (woman owner) less than $500,000. Good luck to everyone still waiting.

[shosh104]

Me too.. women owned and less then $500,000.   I keep going back and reading the email and checking the site. This is a game changer for us. Good luck to everyone still waiting 

[spnick]

I have a another coffee shop owner friend here in Seattle, she got her approval this am. She applied directly on SBA, I did mine through Square, and I signed my application a day after she did. I'm hopeful to get an approval email soon, hang in there folks!!

[Juicery]

Curious if anyone has noticed that Square is using what amounts to line 1a for the gross receipts number they are sending to the SBA for calculating the award. The guidance for the applications from SBA says that applicants are supposed to use line 1c from their business tax returns. So, for people applying through the SBA using line 1c, the grant amount is actually going to be lower because the gross receipts include discounts, returns, etc. I accidentally used line 1a when applying through the SBA and may now have to change it in the app and restart the process. Wondering if anyone else used 1a from their return who has been approved. 

[ss6]

Anyone else who applied directly to SBA on Monday who's business doesn't qualify for the priority period still in IRS review? Just wondering if I'm alone here or if my application should reflect "under review" by now. Thanks

[Juicery]

I’m in the priority under $500K and I’m still in IRS review. We applied through the SBA site. A lot of people had their apps go backwards from “under review” to IRS Verification.

[TBlais]

We just received an email from the SBA saying we were approved and that funds would be deposited in 3-7 days. We applied right when the portal opened through Square in the priority group. On the portal it went quickly to "under review" then stayed there til this morning where it suddenly didn't have anything highlighted. Got worried but I guess we got a green light. There's hope for more to come. 

[AmsterdamCo]

how do we know if we qualify for the priority period or not?

[TBlais]

We never received anything saying we qualified for the priority group. We put that we were 50/50 owned but self certified as 51% owned by Female, and veteran. We each fell into one of the categories. But nothing confirmed from the portal or in an email specifically about it.

[TBlais]

We were approved this morning. Forgot to mention that.

[Erushkyle]

I believe you will stay in the IRS review stage until the 21 day priority period passes.  

best of luck 

[cocomoesq123]

Yes we had the same thing happen. submitted everything needed. We were under review and it went back to IRS Review. Im sure nothing to worry about, just a small glitch. Should see alot of approvals this week.

[Oxbow]

Anyone apply for the RRF program and get an approved notice from the RRF program? If so did it fund the estimated award and how long did it take?

[TBlais]

Got approved this morning. Said we would receive funds in 3-7 days. Applied through Square in the first 20 minutes of it opening.

[AmsterdamCo]

Are you all being awarded what the estimated calculation was or something else?

[TBlais]

So far, yes it looks like the amount that had been on the application.

[Juicery]

I’m still wondering why square is using line 1a without accounting for returns, refunds, discounts, etc. In the square reports the gross sales are line 1a and net sales are equal to line 1c. The SBA defines gross receipts as line 1c on business tax forms. So square applicants are getting funded for the 1a number while those applying through the SBA site are told to use line 1c, which results in lower award calculations. 

[TBlais]

Not the way I read it. On the application for Table 1 it just says "enter gross receipts as reported or to be reported on your Federal Tax Return. That number is only line 1 of your tax return 1a specifically. Line 1b is returns or allowances. The application is only asking for your gross receipts/sales. So that is the number Square is giving. I only applied through Square so I cant speak to whether or not the application was more specific on through the SBA. I haven't seen where the SBA defines gross receipts as line 1c.

[Ally1411]

Did you attach 2019 tax return?

[TBlais]

We didn't have to upload anything. Square did everything for us. Went from "under review" to "awarded" skipping past the other steps. I'm guessing they can verify it because we are signing that other tax form giving them permission to view.