The U.S. Small Business Administration announced this week it has awarded more than $7.5 billion in Shuttered Venue Operators Grants to more than 10,000 hard-hit live entertainment small businesses, nonprofits and venues as of July 26. The SVOG program, which was allocated more than $16.2 billion for grants through the American Rescue Plan Act, is designed to assist in getting the nation’s cultural institutions back on track following pandemic shutdowns, the SBA said in a press release. According to a breakdown by state, 107 SVOG awards have been approved to date in Iowa totaling $41,288,726. SBA officials said the agency has made improvements to the program to deliver money more quickly to venue operators, following a slow initial rollout. “While more work is still needed to help businesses recover from the pandemic, the SBA took swift action to expeditiously process loans for SVOG and get funding into the hands of hard-hit operators,” SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman said in the release. Appeals of award amounts and supplemental awards will be considered in August. The SVOG portal remains open and funding is still available for all eligible applicants.