The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan is taking applications from businesses hurt by Hurricane Isaias through November 25, 2026, or until its $10 million is gone. The loans are short-term and carry no interest, and the Governor's office says sole proprietors can apply.
This article lays out what the state has published so far and the terms and documents listed for this round. It also explains how a bridge loan is paid back when insurance money or a federal disaster loan arrives.
The window closes on November 25, 2026, or earlier if the $10 million runs out. In the first ten days the state had already approved more than $4.5 million, so the money can end before the date does. The Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, lists the terms: up to $100,000 per business, one year, zero interest, 30 counties, five documents. The FloridaCommerce program page decides when the two sources differ.
How do I get a Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan after Hurricane Isaias?
You apply online at FloridaJobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL, the FloridaCommerce page. The Governor's office says applications are open through November 25, 2026, or until all available funds are exhausted, and that sole proprietors are included. The Florida SBDC Network's Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, lists up to $100,000 per business, one year, zero interest, in 30 counties.
Two things follow from that. First, the date is a ceiling, not a promise, because the money can run out sooner. Second, the state has said more about who the program is for than about its mechanics, so the next two sections separate the two.
What has the state said about the Hurricane Isaias bridge loan so far?
Two releases from the Governor's office carry everything the state has said in public. On October 13, 2026, the office announced that FloridaCommerce was "making $10 million available in short-term, zero-interest loans for businesses impacted by Hurricane Isaias." The same release invited owners, sole proprietors included, to apply at FloridaJobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL through November 25, 2026, or until funds run out.
On October 19, 2026, the office reported that more than $4.5 million had been approved for 65 businesses, with more approvals coming each day. It also said FloridaCommerce sent eight strike teams into Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties within 48 hours of landfall, reaching 737 business owners in person. The loans are for businesses that suffered economic injury or physical damage from the storm.
Neither release states the maximum loan per business, the repayment term, the employee or credit rules, or the document list. Those appear on the Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, covered next, and on the FloridaCommerce program page, which decides if the two differ. Figures that circulate online may come from earlier rounds of this program, so those two pages are the only safe references.
| What the Governor's office has said | Source and date |
|---|---|
| $10 million in short-term, zero-interest loans | Release of October 13, 2026 |
| Sole proprietors can apply | Release of October 13, 2026 |
| Apply at FloridaJobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL through November 25, 2026, or until funds are exhausted | Releases of October 13 and October 19, 2026 |
| More than $4.5 million approved for 65 businesses | Release of October 19, 2026 |
| Eight strike teams reached 737 owners in Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties | Release of October 19, 2026 |
| Loan limit, term, eligibility rules and document list | Not in either release; see the next section |
What are the Emergency Bridge Loan requirements and terms?
The Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, carries the terms for this round; the FloridaCommerce program page is the one that decides. According to that page, loans run up to $100,000 per business per eligible applicant, and up to $150,000 for eligible agriculture and aquaculture businesses. The page describes them as "one year, zero-interest, personal business loans" made with State of Florida funds, and says they are not grants and must be repaid.
The same page says businesses with 1 to 100 employees are eligible and that applicants need a credit score of 600 or above. It lists 30 eligible counties. The first fifteen, alphabetically, are Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Holmes and Jackson. The rest are Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton and Washington.
| Term | What the Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page says (read November 4, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Maximum loan | Up to $100,000 per business per eligible applicant |
| Agriculture and aquaculture | Up to $150,000 for eligible businesses |
| Term and interest | One year, zero interest |
| Repayment | Not grants; must be repaid by the approved applicant |
| Employees | Businesses with 1 to 100 employees |
| Credit score | 600 or above |
| Counties | The 30 counties named above |
| Deadline to apply | November 25, 2026 |
| Program line | Listed on the Florida SBDC Network page; Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Application | floridajobs.org/disaster-recovery/small-business-emergency-bridge-loan (the FloridaCommerce site the releases point to) |
One point the two sources state differently, so both are printed here. The Governor's release of October 13, 2026 says sole proprietors are included among the owners encouraged to apply. The Florida SBDC Network's page requires documentation of at least two employees and says independent contractors and 1099 workers count as employees. The FloridaCommerce program page decides, and both releases send every applicant there.
The program's own phone line for questions is listed on the Florida SBDC Network's page. It is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What should I have ready before I open the application?
The Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, lists five documents for every owner on the application. The FloridaCommerce program page controls if its list differs. Having them on hand shortens the time between opening the application and submitting it.
- Driver's license or passport for every owner on the application, front and back
- Business federal tax return for the most current year, all pages, plus the prior year's return with all schedules (Form 1040, 1065, 1120 or 1120S as applicable)
- Personal tax return for the most current year, all pages, for every owner on the application
- Documentation of at least two employees, such as W-2s or IRS Form 941; the page says independent contractors and 1099 workers count as employees
- A copy of a voided check
Two more items are not on that list but come up as soon as insurance or the SBA enters the picture. One is a written account of the damage or lost sales, with dates, photos and any claim number. The other is a set of interim financials, if the books are current. If the books are behind, that is the first thing to fix. The bridge loan application, the insurance claim and any SBA application will all ask for the same numbers. Our loan package preparation service builds that file once, and the earlier article on what lenders check explains the order they read it in.
November 25, 2026 is the last day to apply, but the Governor's office says applications are approved every day and the program closes when they are gone. More than $4.5 million of the $10 million was committed within ten days of the storm.
How is a bridge loan repaid when insurance or an SBA disaster loan arrives?
A bridge loan is a loan, not a grant. The Governor's October 19 release describes its job as helping owners "bridge the gap while they await other long-term funding such as insurance." The long-term money arrives later and, in the usual pattern, pays the bridge loan off. The Florida SBDC Network's Isaias page sets the term at one year. It also says owners may use longer-term money, such as SBA economic injury disaster loans, to repay the bridge loan.
Insurance is the first source. Once an adjuster settles a property or business interruption claim, the proceeds can retire the bridge loan. The owner is then left with whatever longer-term financing the rebuild still needs.
The second source is a federal disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). According to the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan page, these loans are available only in a declared disaster area. The October 19 release says the state asked the President for a disaster declaration. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now lists one for Hurricane Isaias, DR-4955-FL, dated October 27, 2026, covering 15 Florida counties, read November 4, 2026. The Florida SBDC Network's Isaias page lists SBA deadlines of December 28, 2026 for physical damage loans and July 27, 2027 for economic injury loans. Check your address with the SBA's disaster search before counting on one.
The SBA's disaster pages, read November 4, 2026, set out the basics. Business physical disaster loans go up to $2 million to repair or replace real property, machinery, equipment, fixtures, inventory and leasehold improvements. Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) cover working capital and normal expenses, including fixed debt payments. They are available only when the SBA determines the business cannot get credit elsewhere. A business can hold both, with a combined limit of $2 million. Terms run up to 30 years, and the first payment is deferred 12 months with no interest accruing in that period. On physical damage loans, the fixed rate does not exceed 4 percent for applicants who cannot get credit elsewhere and 8 percent for those who can. EIDL rates do not exceed 4 percent.
One more rule matters for anyone also waiting on an adjuster. The SBA may deduct insurance proceeds from the eligible loan amount, because its loans cover losses not fully covered by insurance or other sources.
| Florida Emergency Bridge Loan | SBA physical damage loan | SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | FloridaCommerce | U.S. Small Business Administration | U.S. Small Business Administration |
| Interest | Zero | Up to 4% without credit elsewhere; up to 8% with it | Up to 4% |
| Term | One year | Up to 30 years | Up to 30 years |
| First payment | See the program page | Deferred 12 months, no interest accrues | Deferred 12 months, no interest accrues |
| Maximum | $100,000; $150,000 agriculture and aquaculture | $2 million | $2 million combined with a physical damage loan |
| Where to apply | FloridaJobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL, by November 25, 2026 | lending.sba.gov, once the area is declared | lending.sba.gov, once the area is declared |
Table figures come from the Governor's releases of October 13 and 19, 2026, the Florida SBDC Network's Isaias page and the SBA disaster pages. All were read November 4, 2026.
The order of events usually runs bridge loan first, insurance settlement second, SBA or bank financing last. Each later step asks for the same tax returns and financial statements, which is why one clean file pays off three times. Owners whose gap outlasts the one-year bridge loan have other short-term options, covered on our working capital page. Owners rebuilding with a longer loan can read how SBA 7(a) and 504 loans differ.
Need the file ready before November 25?
SMAART Loans assembles the tax returns, statements and schedules that a bridge loan, an insurance adjuster and an SBA application ask for, from books that already reconcile. Call 1-800-382-1040 or book a call.
Get your file readyThis article explains what the Governor's office, the Florida SBDC Network and the SBA have published as of November 4, 2026. It is not lending or legal advice, and program terms can change. Confirm the current terms on the FloridaCommerce program page, and confirm anything that affects your business with your lender or counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Applications are online at FloridaJobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL, the FloridaCommerce page named in the Governor's releases of October 13 and 19, 2026. The window runs through November 25, 2026, or until the $10 million is exhausted. The Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, lists the terms: up to $100,000 per business, one year, zero interest.
November 25, 2026, according to the Governor's office and the Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, or earlier if all available funds are exhausted. By October 19, 2026, within ten days of the storm, the state had approved more than $4.5 million of the $10 million for 65 businesses. The money can run out before the date does.
The Governor's release of October 13, 2026 says sole proprietors are among the owners encouraged to apply. The Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, lists documentation of at least two employees among the required items. It says independent contractors and 1099 workers count as employees. The FloridaCommerce program page decides between the two.
It is a loan, so it is repaid. The Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, sets the term at one year with zero interest and says the loans are not grants. The Governor's office describes it as covering the gap while an owner waits for longer-term funding such as insurance. The SBDC page names SBA economic injury disaster loans as one way owners repay it.
According to the Florida SBDC Network's Hurricane Isaias page, read November 4, 2026, businesses with 1 to 100 employees in 30 listed counties are eligible. Applicants need a credit score of 600 or above. Each owner uploads a driver's license or passport, business and personal tax returns for the current year, documentation of at least two employees and a voided check.
Sources
- Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, state response and recovery update naming the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, October 13, 2026, https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2026/governor-ron-desantis-issues-updates-state-response-and-recovery-efforts-3
- Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, more than $4.5 million approved for Florida small businesses, October 19, 2026, https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2026/governor-ron-desantis-announces-more-45-million-approved-florida-small-businesses
- Florida SBDC Network, Hurricane Isaias page: Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program terms, counties, documents and deadline, read November 4, 2026, https://floridasbdc.org/isaias/
- FloridaCommerce, Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan application page named in both releases, https://www.floridajobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL
- FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, DR-4955-FL, read November 4, 2026, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries?$filter=disasterNumber%20eq%204955
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Disaster assistance, https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Physical damage loans, https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/physical-damage-loans
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/economic-injury-disaster-loans
