Use of Funds Validation is Now Available

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide much needed funding to restaurants and other eligible businesses that suffered revenue losses as a result of the pandemic. The validation of the use of these funds is now available through the SBA application portal, and restaurant owners who were awarded such funds are required to report how much of their award has been used against each eligible use category by December 31, 2021.

RRF Funds may be used for specific expenses including:

• Business payroll costs (including sick leave)
• Payments on any business mortgage obligation
• Business rent payments (this does not include prepayment of rent)
• Business debt service, both principal and interest (this does not include any prepayment of principal or interest)
• Business utility payments
• Business maintenance expenses
• Construction of outdoor seating
• Business supplies (including protective equipment and cleaning materials)
• Business food and beverage expenses (including raw materials)
• Covered supplier costs
• Business operating expenses

Applicants are required to report through the application portal how much of their award has been used against each eligible use category no later than December 31, 2021. If the Applicant fully expends their funds prior to December 31, 2021, they will be asked to certify in the application portal that proceeds have been used on eligible expenses. All Applicants that do not fully expend award funds prior to December 31, 2021 will be required to complete annual reporting submissions until they fully expend the award funding or the period of performance expires. SBA reserves the right to request supplemental documentation needed to validate the certificate. For all businesses that have not fully expended their award, this submission must be repeated by December 31, 2022. 

Applicants must use all RRF funds by March 11, 2023, on eligible expenses incurred beginning on February 15, 2020, and ending on March 11, 2023. Recipients that are unable to use all RRF funds on eligible expenses by the March 11, 2023, date must return the portion of unused funds to the government. If the business permanently closes, the covered period will end when the business permanently closes or on March 11, 2023, whichever occurs sooner.