SBA can provide loans to help cover the costs and expenses that your business would have been able to handle if the disaster did not happen. The SBA has two new programs that are offering loans that maybe forgivable, meaning you may not have to pay it back.The program provides shortterm, zerointerest loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Milton. Sole Proprietor –Application SBA Form 5C. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. Sole proprietors, independent contractors and eligible selfemployed individuals may also participate in the program, as can nonprofits. All borrowers, regardless of loan size, can use SBA's direct forgiveness portal. Applying for forgiveness using the portal can take as little as 15 minutes. Remaining portions of the EIDL, for purposes other than those laid out in loan forgiveness terms for a PPP loan, would remain a loan. General Requirements - To obtain a COVID EIDL loan, an applicant must be a business (including a sole-proprietorship) which satisfies the following criteria: •.