The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant was supposed to be available starting earlier this month, but technical difficulties have delayed the process.
After over a year of venues being shut down, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant was to begin accepting applications on April 8th at 12 PM EST via the Small Business Association (SBA) website. Nearly a week later, the portal is still not functioning and no applications have been received.
Whenever the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant is able to reopen, submissions will be reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis. Venues that have lost 90% or more of revenue will take priority over the first two weeks, followed by venues that have lost 70% or more revenue over the next two weeks, and so on. 
SBA said in a statement on April 9th:
So many live venues and related businesses have been impacted by this pandemic and we want to ensure relief is delivered as quickly and equitably as possible. We will provide further updates as we receive them and appreciate your patience.
SBA follows up in a more recent tweet:
We know this experience has been disappointing. Live venues are some of the first who had to close due to the pandemic and they need help urgently. They anchor our communities in so many ways; fueling our entertainment and cultural experiences and other businesses.
The SBA says its committed to reopening the portal quickly, but also wants to ensure a better experience. An exact reopening date has yet to be determined.
Stay tuned for updates and get more info here.
As we do this, we are also making changes to enhance the applicant’s user experience based on feedback we’ve received.
— SBA (@SBAgov) April 13, 2021
We are committed to reopening the portal quickly, while also being certain it is a better experience when we do and this takes time. We will continue to provide updates as they come.
More info: https://t.co/t7nOEeRl7m
— SBA (@SBAgov) April 13, 2021
When we re-started rigorous testing with our vendors and did additional risk analysis, our teams identified other potential performance issues, which we are working to resolve. We are focused on strengthening the portal’s performance and user enhancements for when it reopens.
— SBA (@SBAgov) April 14, 2021
Source: Billboard
