New Funding for the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant

NOTE: Due to a technical error, several San Leandro Next posts published between June 30 and August 24, 2021 were deleted. We have been able to recover the content and are making it available again. This post was previously published on August 17, 2021.

An additional $1.5 billion in funding has been added to the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, which provides small business grants up to $25,000. Businesses who have previously applied for a grant, but have not gotten one, do not need to re-apply and will be considered for a grant from August 3 through Thursday, September 16. Additionally, new businesses can apply to the program from Thursday, September 9 through Thursday, September 30. Read below for more info or visit www.CaReliefGrant.com.  Get assistance in applying from the Alameda County Small Business Development Center.

The additional $1.5 billion expansion, for a total of $4 billion, makes this the largest small business grant program of its kind in the country and provides grants up to $25,000 for small businesses impacted by the pandemic. The three new competitive funding rounds will be conducted by CalOSBA’s selected intermediary, Lendistry.

Guided by a principle of equity, the program’s goal is to provide a crucial financial recovery resource to traditionally underserved small businesses and nonprofits. As of today, over 180,939 small businesses and nonprofits have been awarded for a total of over $2 billion in grant funding. Additional data can be found at https://business.ca.gov/coronavirus-2019/.

Additional information on applying to the program is below:

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Round 7: Waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds

Selection Window: Tuesday, August 3 through Thursday, September 16

Eligible applicants: This is a closed round and only available to eligible applicants who were waitlisted in certain previous rounds.  Selection does not guarantee approval or an award. If you were waitlisted, you do not need to reapply. New applications will not be accepted in this round.

Eligible grant award: $5,000 to $25,000

Details: This is a closed funding round; no new applications will be accepted.

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Round 8: Nonprofit cultural institutions only

Application window: Friday, August 27 through Wednesday, September 8

Eligible applicants: Only nonprofit cultural institutions of any revenue size that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com

Eligible grant award: $5,000 – $25,000

Details: Approximately $16 million remain under the Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Program. Eligible nonprofit cultural institutions must complete a new application even if they already applied in Rounds 1, 2, 5 or 6; nonprofit cultural institutions that applied in Round 4 do not need to reapply.  Grants will only be available to nonprofit cultural institutions that did not receive funding in any previous rounds. Grants will be prioritized based on the documented percentage revenue declines based on a reporting period comparing Q2 and Q3 of 2020 versus Q2 and Q3 of 2019.

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Round 9: New Applicants and Waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds

Application window: Thursday, September 9 through Thursday, September 30

Eligible applicants: Current waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds and new applicants that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com

Eligible grant award: $5,000 – $25,000

Details: Applicants not selected to move forward in the review process in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7 do not need to re-apply and will be automatically moved into Round 9. New applicants will need to apply at CAReliefGrant.com.

Procedure for New Applicants

New applicants will need to submit a signed certification of your business, your most recent federal tax return filed (provided in an electronic form for online uploads), a copy of your official filing with the California Secretary of State (if applicable), or local municipality for the business, such as: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization, Fictitious Name of Registration, or a Government-Issued Business License. You will also need to submit a copy of a Government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.

One complete application will qualify you to be considered for both rounds, so please only apply once. Applying through multiple organizations will delay your application from being processed. Owners of multiple businesses, franchises, locations, etc. will be considered for only one grant and are required to apply for the business with the highest revenue.

Please read through the Program Overview and Application Guide for more details on how to apply. You may also contact the Alameda County Small Business Development Center for assistance in applying.

For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, along with links to application tips and webinars, visit CAReliefGrant.com.