Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • September 2016 | Page 17

Gov. Scott

Activates Emergency
Bridge Loan Program
for Small Businesses
Damaged by

Hurricane Hermine
Earlier this month,
Governor Rick Scott
activated Florida’s Small
Business Emergency
Bridge Loan Program
to support local small
businesses impacted by
Hurricane Hermine. The
bridge loan program,
managed by the Florida
Department of Economic
Opportunity (DEO), will
provide short-term,
interest-free loans to
small businesses that
experienced physical or
economic damage during
the storm and recovery
efforts. The application
period is from today
through October 31, 2016.
Governor Scott said, “I have
toured areas across the
Gulf Coast and Big Bend
and spoken firsthand with
families and businesses
owners who are ready
to get back to work.
Restoring Florida’s small
businesses is crucial to
helping our communities

recover from Hurricane
Hermine and the Bridge
Loan Program will help
provide much-needed
emergency assistance. We
will continue to use every
available state resource to
help Floridians impacted
by this storm throughout
the entire recovery
process.”
DEO is currently surveying
businesses in the affected
counties. To access the
business survey, please go
to http://flvbeoc.org/index.
php?action=bda and select
“Hurricane Hermine” from
the drop-down menu.
DEO administers the
Florida Small Business
Emergency Bridge Loan
Program to provide an
expedient cash flow to
businesses damaged
by a disaster. The shortterm, interest-free
loans help bridge the
gap between the time
damage is incurred and