VALDOSTA — Local small businesses affected by COVID-19 could receive some added relief shortly.

U.S. Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) announced that $12 million of federal funding would be coming to seven cities throughout the state, one being Valdosta. 

“Small businesses employ half of all Americans and have been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic,” Loeffler said in a statement. “These grants, provided by the CARES Act, will help small businesses across Georgia keep employees on payroll and not only survive these difficult times, but emerge stronger than before.”

From the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the Southern Georgia Regional Commission, located locally in Valdosta, will receive a $825,000 “recovery assistance grant” to encourage business development and job creation in South Georgia by administering revolving loan funds to businesses in Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner and Ware counties.

Through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, SGRC won’t keep the funds but instead will facilitate moving the funds to local businesses in need.

“We shut the economy down – something we’ve never done before – to keep people healthy, and now we’re working to safely reopen,” Purdue said. “These CARES Act funds will help small businesses continue to weather this crisis and support their communities.”

Recipients of the cash relief will be businesses that were open this year and suffered some kind of economic fallout from the pandemic or had to close their doors temporarily, said Rex Dorsey, SGRC director of lending. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to assist all businesses in the area that have been impacted by coronavirus at many different levels,” he said. “We’re gonna make it a very streamline process. As simple and quickly as possible to get these funds into the hands of small business owners.”

Dorsey did not have an exact day when money would be doled out but he said it would happen “as quickly as possible” since applications will go through the local loan board, avoiding federal agencies.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said the move is aimed at helping hurting small business rebound from losses inflicted by the pandemic.

“These investments will provide small businesses across Georgia with the necessary capital to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and, in turn, create a stronger and more resilient state economy for the future,” he said.