WASHINGTON — A network of community banks and financial institutions across the country is gearing up to implement one of the most ambitious economic relief programs in United States history as small businesses across the country weather coronavirus and its economic fallout.

The $2 trillion coronavirus relief package signed last week, officially known as the CARES Act, includes nearly $350 billion for a new federal small-business loan program called the Paycheck Protection Program. The program is designed to get cash in the hands of suffering small businesses quickly, with less red tape and fewer guardrails than the SBA’s existing loan programs. It is designed to incentivize business owners to keep employees on payroll by offering them loan forgiveness.

The new loan program is separate from existing federal loan programs, including the Small Business Administration’s disaster relief loans. To learn about the SBA’s other relief programs, please visit the SBA’s COVID-19 resource center.

Q: How do I apply for a small-business loan through the Paycheck Protection Program?

A: The Small Business Administration has a network of 1,800 approved lenders that process small-business loans. You should first contact your bank to see if it is an SBA-approved lender. If your bank is not an SBA-approved lender, you can contact the SBA to find one.

Q: When will the new funding be made available ?

A: Detailed instructions on how to apply for them were expected to be added to the Small Business Administration’s website on Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

Q: How much money can my business receive through the new loan program?

A: The Paycheck Protection Program provides small-business loans of up to $10 million to cover payroll and certain other expenses. Other SBA loan programs, including the federal disaster relief program, offer much smaller loans.

Q: Can the loan eventually be forgiven?

A: Yes. The act includes loan forgiveness for companies that are able to keep employees on payroll or continue paying bills throughout the crisis.

Q: It looks like there are a lot of different federal loan programs. Can my business receive funding through more than one?

A: Yes. Businesses that have pending or existing SBA disaster assistance loans can still receive funding through the Paycheck Protection Program as long as the loans are being applied to different cost centers.

For more information, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration or an SBA-qualified financial institution. You can reach the SBA by email at answersdesk@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-827-5722.