The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

While this program has not yet opened for applications, there are important updates regarding eligibility and the application process. We anticipate that it will open in the next few weeks.

SAM Registration: Any applicant to this program must be registered through SAM.gov, a centralized government website used by entities to apply for and obtain federal government contracts and grants. This process takes more than a week, so we are encouraging anyone who might apply to begin this registration process now. Organizations who already have a SAM.gov registration are encouraged to check that the login info and password is up to date.

The Vermont District office is hosting a SAM Registration Webinar at 11 a.m., Feb. 25. To access the webinar, click here (no advance registration required). To access the webinar by phone, call 202-765-1264 and enter code 256 504 456#.

Eligibility information: The SBA has released several rounds of updates on the eligibility and guidelines of the program. Interested applicants should check this page regularly for updates, especially the FAQ section, and sign up for SBA email alerts about the program.

"Planning events & connecting communities & artists during the pandemic" will be the topic of the Vermont Recreation & Park Association’s quarterly meeting at 9 a.m., March 10 via Zoom.

The session will feature panelists from Vermont's Dept. of Health; Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD); Forests, Parks, & Recreation; the Vermont Arts Council, as well as Jody Fried from Catamount Arts and Sherri Birkheimer Rooker from the Chaffee Art Center. 

Panelists will discuss managing outdoor events during the pandemic. They will share examples that worked in 2020, share plans and possible venues for 2021, discuss public health updates and recommendations, and hear from ACCD on guidance updates for the upcoming summer. We will also outline and discuss a new initiative in the works to help artists and communities facilitate safe outdoor events this upcoming season.

Accessibility Information: We invite you to contact us with specific accommodations you need to facilitate your participation in the meeting. We will make every effort to honor your requests made by March 1. Contact: Michele Bailey, the Vermont Arts Council’s 504/ADA coordinator at mbailey@vermontartscouncil.org.