As the First Round Ends, the Second Application Round BEGINS on February 2nd, 2021!
Funding will support small businesses that have struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Sacramento, CA – California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate
(CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
(GO-Biz), today announced that Round 1 for the Small Business COVID-19 Relief
Grant Program has closed.
With more than 300,000 applications successfully completed, application
approval notifications will be sent out Friday, January 15 through Friday,
January 22. Funds will be disbursed over a 45-day verification period beginning
Friday, January 22.
A second round of applications will open at 8:00 a.m. February 2 and will run
through 6:00 p.m. February 8. Applicants who submitted all necessary documents
in the first round and met eligibility requirements, but did not receive a
grant, do not need to reapply; their applications will be rolled over for
consideration in the second round.
“There is no question that small business are hurting, and the reality of this
pandemic demands urgent relief now to help those who need it most,” said Dee
Dee Myers, GO-Biz Director. “Before COVID-19, the 4.1 million small businesses
that call this state home created two-thirds of California’s net new jobs and
employed nearly half of all private-sector employees. It is crucial that we do
everything we can to put more money into the hands of impacted small business
owners.”
On January 5, Governor Newsom previewed his Equitable Recovery for California’s
Businesses and Jobs plan – part of his proposed 2021-22 state budget – which
called for immediate legislative action on $575 million in additional grants
for the California Relief Grant Program. This investment will add to the
initial $500 million allocation announced November 30, bringing the total amount for
the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program to $1.075 billion.
The Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program offers grants up to $25,000 to
micro and small businesses and nonprofits that have been impacted by the
pandemic. It is not a first-come, first-served program, nor a rolling approval
process. Grants will be distributed across the state, with priority given to
regions and industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, disadvantaged
communities and underserved small business groups. All applications will be
considered and prioritized based on impact.
Due to the overwhelming demand, the Round 1 application deadline was extended from January 8 to January
13 to ensure interested small businesses and nonprofits had the opportunity to
apply.
Mission-based lenders and small business advisory and technical assistance
providers will continue to help small businesses with the application process
in multiple languages and formats in the second round. Many of the
State-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of
technical assistance to underserved business groups, will also be also
available to help. For more information on grant requirements and eligibility,
please visit CAReliefGrant.com.