Although the Small Business Administration (SBA) is slated to continue taking applications for the popular Paycheck Protection Program until the end of this month, it appears the agency has exhausted its funds for most lenders.  The SBA acknowledged earlier this week that it was not accepting applications for new loans from most lenders – but rather only from “community financial institutions”, which includes Community Development Financial Institutions, minority deposit institutions and other qualified small lenders. The restriction stems from the fact that within the total $292 billion appropriated, Congress also mandated the setting aside of $8 billion in loan funding for community financial institutions as part of the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief legislation. As a result, those who’ve not yet to receive an SBA loan number will not be getting approval unless it comes from one of those community financial institutions. Businesses that have not secured a PPP loan at this point will likely have to look to other funding options such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) supplemental targeted advance and/or the Employee Retention Tax Credit for additional relief, but business owners mustn’t hesitate. The White House has reported that over 186,000 restaurant owners have registered with the Restaurant Revitalization Fund within the first the first few days and remember that funding during the first 21 days of the program is only available to businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans and socially or economically disadvantaged people.