The Employee Retention Credit was introduced in the CARES Act that Congress enacted to help stabilize businesses in the wake of Covid-19. It is a refundable tax credit available to small and medium-sized businesses. As such, it is a grant and not a loan – you never need to worry about repaying the ERC.
The funds were initially designed to help businesses retain their employees in the aftermath of Covid-19 to to help get businesses back on their feet by offering a generous payroll tax refund through the IRS.