Business Partner Resources

Gordian

For 30 years, hundreds of local government agencies across the United States have relied on Gordian’s Job Order Contracting (JOC) solutions to expedite construction procurement and deliver quality work in their communities. In the face of the COVID-19 national emergency, Gordian is committed to helping you quickly complete COVID-19-related work with pricing control and auditability.

Gordian is committed to aiding your COVID-19 response efforts, including helping you complete construction projects funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Gordian’s unique combination of construction cost data, robust software and industry expertise have been used extensively for FEMA-funded emergency response, and FEMA relies on Gordian’s data and technology to determine grant funding.

Gordian’s experience implementing and administering Job Order Contracting programs is unmatched and our team develops, implements and supports programs that complete more than $2.4B worth of construction across the U.S. every year.

The Gordian team is here to help address the facility transformation needs of the COVID-19 crisis and re-open safely during the pandemic. If you would like more information, please contact us at 800-874-2291 or visit our website at https://www.gordian.com/landing-pages/covid-19-updates-and-resources/.

Walgreens - waiving delivery fees for online purchases and eligible prescriptions.

https://www.walgreens.com/topic/findcare/coronavirus.jsp

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/retail/walgreens-walmart-begin-covid-19-testing-chicago

Comcast - Announces Comprehensive COVID-19 Response to Help Keep Americans Connected to the Internet

https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/01/comcast-ceo-500-million-for-employee-jobs-impacted-by-coronavirus.html

Webinars for small business – https://www.dropbox.com/s/rj6xnvgs6jknkct/CB_Webinar%20Series%20release_FINAL.docx?dl=0

COMCAST EXTENDS COMPREHENSIVE COVID-19 RESPONSE POLICIES

TO JUNE 30

Continues Commitment to No Disconnects or Late Fees, Keeping Business and Outdoor Xfinity WiFi Hotspots Open Nationally for Free, Giving Customers Unlimited Data, and 60 Days of Free Access for Low-Income Families through Internet Essentials


PHILADELPHIA – April 27, 2020 – As shelter in place continues to be the norm and schools remain closed across the country, Comcast announced today it will extend its commitments for Xfinity customers through June 30 to help ensure students can finish out the school year from home and remain connected to the internet during the COVID-19 crisis.

Originally announced on March 13, Comcast made the following commitments that will now be extended into the summer:

No Disconnects and Waiving Late Fees: We will not disconnect a customer’s Xfinity Internet, Xfinity Mobile, or Xfinity Voice service, and we will waive late fees if they contact us and let us know that they can’t pay their bills during this period. Our care teams are available to offer flexible payment options or help find other solutions.

Xfinity WiFi Free for Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots in business and outdoor locations across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi.

Pausing Our Data Plan: With so many people working and educating from home, we want our customers to access the internet without thinking about data plans. While the vast majority of our customers do not come close to using 1TB of data in a month, we are pausing our data plans to give all customers unlimited data for no additional charge.

Internet Essentials: Internet Essentials is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. We are extending our offer of 60 days of complimentary service for new customers through June 30. Internet Essentials is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. For more information, visit www.internetessentials.com.

“These extended measures will continue to keep Americans safe and ensure that households are equipped for students to learn and stay informed at home as the nation copes with this unprecedented disruption to our daily lives,” said Dave Watson, Comcast Cable Chief Executive Officer. “Our services have never been more important, and we’re doing everything we can to keep people connected to the internet.”

For more information and updates from Comcast related to Coronavirus, visit: http://www.comcastcorporation.com/COVID-19/

We’re all feeling the impact of COVID-19 – both personally and professionally. We know that connectivity matters right now more than ever, and millions of people across the globe are relying on us to help them work from home, access critical news and educational resources and, importantly, entertain and connect with their families during this difficult time.

As a leader in our community, we want to make sure you’re aware of the steps we’re taking to keep our customers connected, informed and supported as we get through this together.

We are continuing to focus on network reliability and performance. We are seeing an unprecedented shift in network usage, but it’s within the network’s capability and we continue to deliver the speeds and support the capacity our customers need while they are working, learning, and connecting from home. Learn more here.
Xfinity WiFi hotspots in business and outdoor locations across the country are available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers – and we are giving all Internet customers Unlimited data for no additional charge. We will not disconnect internet service or charge late fees for customers who can’t pay their bills during this period. Learn more here.
Internet Essentials, the largest and most comprehensive low-cost broadband adoption in the country, will be free for new low-income customers in our footprint for 60 days. We’ve also increased the base speed for the Internet Essentials service to 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream for all new and existing customers going forward. Learn more here.
We’ve created new educational collections for all grade levels in partnership with Common Sense Media, as well as a collection of the most current news and information on Coronavirus on X1 and Flex. Both collections are easy to find by saying “Education” or “Coronavirus” into the X1 or Flex remote. Learn more here and here.
Universal Pictures will make its movies available in the home on the same day as their global theatrical releases. Titles including The Hunt, The Invisible Man and Emma are now available to rent on most popular on-demand services worldwide. DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls World Tour will be available April 10th. Learn more here.
Coronavirus-themed The More You Know public service announcements are being developed with the Ad Council, CDC and White House that align with the CDC’s latest language. And NBCUniversal created a series of English and Spanish digital videos and social graphics to inform high-risk populations about preventative steps. Telemundo has also produced “Quedate en Casa” (“Stay home”), featuring on-air talent. Learn more here and here.
NBCUniversal is partnering with distribution partners to make MSNBC and CNBC available to all their video customers, regardless of the packages to which they subscribe. NBC and Telemundo owned stations are streaming local newscasts as well as coronavirus-related press conferences. And NBC News Now will feature programming drawing upon NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC, free to viewers. Learn more here.

We’re reaching out to thousands of our colleagues and partners across the country to help us spread the word to those who can benefit from these efforts. Important information and updates can be found here.

If there’s anything we can do to continue to support you or your communities, please send me an email or give me a call any time.

Sincerely,
Carla Roderick
Comcast

T-Mobile - Working to keep people connected with free data, and provide continuity of service for customers who cannot pay their bills.

https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/ongoing-updates-covid-19

Delta - Extending ticket rebookings through the end of the year, and is largely waiving rebooking fees.

https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/coronavirus-travel/overview

DTE - Limits Energy Shutoffs During Coronavirus Outbreak

https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/24671/dte_consumers_limit_energy_shutoffs_during_coronavirus_outbreak

Enterprise - providing key logistics

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4dufutl7t77e7kn/Enterprise%20Holdings%20-%20Essential%20Services%20-%20March%2019%202020%20-.pdf?dl=0

National Apartment Association - Guidance for Property Managers

https://www.naahq.org/news-publications/guidance-dealing-coronavirus

Postmates - Launching a relief fund for employees and implemented contactless delivery.

https://blog.postmates.com/postmates-coronavirus-covid-19-response-94eef5b1bbc2

Johnson Controls Inc.

Press release regarding essential products: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f2mhynn02yoil2j/Essential%20Services%20Release%20Final%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0

Hospital solutions: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ynee6y83nmvg9ab/JCI%20Hospital%20One%20Pager_VF%20%281%29%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0

Letter to mayors:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4p7sud79f2vinrn/Johnson%20Controls%20Letter%20to%20Mayors.pdf?dl=0

OYO Hotels Offering Free Stays to Medical Staff

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5h5cjpzcd9n44c4/OYO%20Hotels%20offers%20Doctors%20and%20Nurses%20Battling%20Coronavirus%20Free%20Stays_032420.pdf?dl=0

Southwest Airlines

https://www.southwest.com/Coronavirus/

Extra Cleaning Steps We Are Taking to Ensure Your Safety: https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Blog/Extra-Cleaning-Steps-We-Are-Taking-to-Ensure-Your-Safety/ba-p/102360

Softbank

In an effort to support our community during these challenging times, SoftBank Group is pleased to announce we have purchased and donated 1.4 million n95 certified protective masks to those on the front lines testing, preventing, and treating the spread of the COVID19 virus in New York. The first 500,000 masks are scheduled to arrive in New York on Friday, and the remainder should be arriving over the next few weeks.

What SoftBank’s portfolio of companies is doing to help communities – https://www.dropbox.com/s/q07icdnonmqvt9c/SB%20Support%20COVID19.pdf?dl=0

ICSC

https://www.icsc.com/uploads/c68-contacts/Letter_to_the_President_Vice_President_Sec_of_Treasury,_3-17-20.pdf

Reef

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwHMPqxPtbljhhJDLCGpTkhmrXr

HomeServe

No matter how long you’ve been a HomeServe customer, we hope you know this: Our Customers are at the heart of everything we do.

As everyone adjusts to the changes in daily life being brought on by COVID-19 (coronavirus), we’re hopeful that you, your families, friends, colleagues, and communities remain safe and healthy.

It’s important to us that we’re able to continue serving you communities and do our part to keep you and our Technicians safe. We’ve taken a number of measures at HomeServe to prevent the spread of the disease. These include:

Reminding all team members of the need to practice good personal hygiene
Wearing protective gear when visiting customers’ homes
Staying home from work when they are ill
Beyond that, effective immediately, we are initiating measures to keep our Technicians healthy by protecting them from unnecessary risks when entering a customer’s home. This includes several pre-screening questions they may ask you to understand whether someone in the home is infected or has a high risk of being infected. In those situations where a risk is present, we have created a special team to handle the matter on an expedited basis.

We’re Here for You
Even as the coronavirus situation continues to unfold before us, our commitment to customer excellence remains unchanged. You rely on us when you need us most, and we plan to be there for you to the extent that conditions allow.

Please keep in mind that the impact the coronavirus may have on our ability to service your repair claim is unknown. While we will endeavor to service your claims as expeditiously as we always do, we hope we have your understanding that delays may be inevitable. We’re committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.

Thank you for being a HomeServe customer. If you have any questions about our response to the coronavirus or need to initiate a claim, please call our toll-free emergency repair hotline at 1-855-336-2465.

John Kitzie
CEO

How Amazon is protecting its workers and communities

https://blog.aboutamazon.com/company-news/amazons-actions-to-help-employees-communities-and-customers-affected-by-covid-19?utm_source=incom&utm_medium=inside&utm_term=inside_global&utm_content=COVID-19_roundup

Automation Anywhere is Helping Cities with AI Assistants

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fosol37g7yu98p6/Automation%20Anywhere.pdf?dl=0

CitiBot is Offering Free Tools to Text Your Residents

Get interactive text alerts free for 60 days. Visit covid19.citibot.io/offer/

A Letter to Mayors from the CEO of Johnson Controls

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uavxo1tcn4san3y/JCI%20Letter-%20Mayor.pdf?dl=0

Helping your local businesses

How Do I Apply for the Coronavirus Small Business Loan?

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, President Trump announced the government’s plan to help sole proprietors and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The administration’s plan is two-fold:

Provide small business loans to organizations impacted by economic slowdown as a result of the coronavirus
To provide an immediate, 3-month tax holiday for businesses
SBA loans available for businesses impacted by COVID-19

To help SMBs operate during the pandemic, Trump has instructed the Small Business Administration (SBA) to “provide liquidity to states and small business owners” with low-interest loans.

He has asked Congress to increase funding to the Small Business Administration by $50 billion. That level of funding will provide the SBA with more than double the amount of loans it made in fiscal year 2019.

When revenue is uncertain, many business owners look for cash on hand to weather the storm.

The loans will help SMBs meet payroll; stay liquid during drops in customer demand or delayed payments; and look for alternatives or manage supply chain issues.

Currently, New York City and Washington state are most affected by the virus, but more locations are declaring a “state of emergency” in response to the outbreak. These declarations allow localities to access federal emergency funding.

The travel and hospitality industries – including restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues – will be hit the hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. SMBs that supply goods and services to these industries will likely feel the ripple effect of COVID-19.

Small agricultural cooperatives are also being targeted as potential impacted industries and SBA loan beneficiaries, if needed.

How to apply and qualify for the SBA coronavirus relief loan
The Small Business Administration announced it’s working directly with state governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to nonprofits and small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Their established Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program will provide working capital loans up to $2 million for economic support and help overcome temporary revenue loss during the outbreak.

On March 17, the SBA revised its criteria for states and territories seeking an economic injury declaration related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

The new criteria will make it easier to qualify for assistance.

In order to qualify for states or territories to qualify for Disaster Assistance Loans, they are required to certify that at least 5 small businesses within the state or territory have suffered substantial economic injury. In addition, disaster loans will be available statewide following an economic injury declaration (before the revisions, each county had to receive a declaration).

Once a declaration is made for designated states, information to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) assistance will be made available to all applicable communities.

The fine print of the coronavirus loan program
The SBA will provide financial assistance only to businesses that are otherwise unable to secure loan funding.

Washington State Congressman Rick Larsen issued a fact sheet about the loans. The loan amount is determined by the small business or independent business owner’s actual “economic injury and financial needs.”

Interest rates for EIDL loans are set at:

3.75% for small businesses
2.75% for nonprofits
Loan repayment can extend up to 30 years. The SBA’s terms and conditions are determined by the business’ ability to repay the loan.

How businesses can help with the loan process
To be eligible for assistance, states must be approved by the SBA for impact and potential relief.

To do so, localities must provide the SBA with documentation supporting the economic impact of COVID-19 in their area. Many counties are already posting the Small Business Administration Estimated Disaster Economic Injury Worksheet For Businesses form on their websites to get the process started.

Small business owners should check county websites to see if the form is being made available, and to whom they should return the document.

These voluntary forms help county officials and Departments of Emergency Management assess damages and the need throughout their area.

County officials will submit the forms and other information to request an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Declaration.

Once approved, EIDL loan processing can begin. Additional information may also be found on county and local websites about other resources and relief being offered.

Tax holiday for businesses in wake of coronavirus
In addition to opening up loans for SMBs, Trump announced a tax holiday for businesses. The plan will allow business owners to delay paying taxes normally due on April 15 for 90 days without interest or penalty. It is estimated the tax deferral will add $200 billion to the U.S. economy, providing a boost to keep the nation moving forward.

Many states and cities are considering following suit.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced businesses with up to $10 million in gross receipts may defer their April 30 quarterly tax payment until February of 2021 if necessary.

Additional measures are being considered on the federal level to assist workers and business owners.

“This is not a financial crisis,” Trump said, in an effort to calm fears. “This is just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome as a nation and as a world.”

Read the article: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/how-do-i-apply-for-the-coronavirus-small-business-loan/

Philadelphia COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund

https://www.phila.gov/programs/philadelphia-covid-19-small-business-relief-fund/

HMS Host

HMS Host on Post-COVID Operations in Airports – https://www.dropbox.com/s/ah0oel7wlxpjni0/Post-Covid%20Business%20Operations%20in%20Airports.pdf?dl=0