Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program: Eligibility for Museum Operators

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The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

Watch this video to find out what the eligibility requirements are for relevant museum operators.

Learn more about SVO Grants and other small business pandemic relief programs at: https://www.sba.gov/coronavirusrelief

*Text transcript:*

Eligibility for Relevant Museum Operators
Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG)

What is the Grant Amount?

Grant Award is capped at $10 million and is based on 45% of gross earned revenue for 2019

At least $2 billion of the total program is reserved for eligible, small operators with up to 50 full-time employees

What are the SVOG Eligibility Requirements?

Applicant who applied for PPP First Draw and Second Draw after Dec.27, 2020 are ineligible

*unless the application was denied*

Must make a certification of need noting the uncertainty of current economic conditions makes necessary the SVOG to support ongoing operations.

Must have been in operation as of Feb. 29, 2020
Must be open for business or intend to reopen

How is Relevant Museum Defined?

For purposes of the SVOG and in addition to the specific criteria listed in the Economic Aid Act, SBA will generally define relevant museum as:

Being a type of institution listed in 20 U.S.C. § 9172 that utilizes a professional staff, and is organized on a permanent basis to fulfill educational or aesthetic purposes through the exhibition of tangible objects to the general public.

Tangible objects exhibited by museums must be cared for by the museums, may be animate or inanimate, and may be owned or used by the museums.

What is an Eligible Museum?
One that operates a public, tribal or private nonprofit agency or institution organized on a permanent basis for:
• Essentially education,
• Cultural heritage, or
• Aesthetic purposes.

Examples of Qualifying Museums Include but are not limited to:

1. Aquariums
2. Arboretums
3. Botanical Gardens
4. Art Museums
5. Children’s Museums, and
6. General Museums
7. Historic Houses
8. Historic Museums
9. Nature Centers, and
10. Natural History and Anthropology Museums
11. Planetariums
12. Science and Technology
13. Specialized Museums
14. Zoological Parks

Venue-Specific Requirements

Must have been serving as a relevant museum as its principal business activity

Must have indoor exhibition space that is a component of the principal business activity and which has been subject to pandemic-related occupancy restrictions, and

Must have at least one auditorium, theatre, performance or lecture hall with fixed audience seating and regular programming.

For additional information visit www.sba.gov/svogrant

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration