California Opens Application Window for Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Relief Program – Here's Some Guidance If You're Having Trouble

On. Dec. 30, the California Office of the Small Business Advocate opened the first round of applications for the state's $500 million California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program. The CAReliefGrant.com website is live. MORE INFO.
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HAVING ISSUES APPLYING FOR THE GRANT?
You're not alone. The good news is that this Grant Relief Program is NOT first come, first serve. If you face any technical issues during the process, you can still submit your application any time before Jan. 8, 2021,11:59 PM. If you are experiencing technical difficulties with the high volume demands, circle back to the application portal in lower peak demand times, today and throughout the holiday weekend. We have seen successes with clients submitting at non peak times. 

The Marin SBDC compiled screenshots of the application once you are in the portal: 

CLICK HERE FOR SCREENSHOTS OF APPLICATION

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION GUIDANCE

GETTING ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT WITH YOUR APPLICATION 
If you are an existing Marin SBDC client, please contact the SBDC Advisor that you worked with already (whomever helped you with EIDL, PPP or another program). If you are a new client, sign up HERE.

Our SBDC CA network created webinars to help you apply and answer your questions. All webinars are at 11:00am PST - REGISTER HERE

We will be discussing:

• The Grant Program
• Eligibility Requirements
• What the funding can be used for
• The Application
• Required Documents
• Who to Contact for Assistance

Webinars occur daily at 11:00 a.m.

• Jan 1 - English
• Jan 2 - English/Vietnamese
• Jan 3 - English/Korean
• Jan 4 - English/Arabic

REGISTER HERE FOR ANY OF THESE WEBINARS
INFO ON FIRST ROUND FOR CA GRANT RELIEF PROGRAM OPENS DECEMBER 30 -
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• This is NOT a first come first serve process. 
• They will have 2 rounds of funding open. First round opens December 30 at 6:00 AM - January 8 at 11:59 PM - Second round TBD
• You can apply even if you received EIDL, PPP or other COVID funding

WHO CAN APPLY

• Active small businesses with gross revenues of $2.5M or less and small nonprofits 501(c)3 and 501(c)6 with gross revenues of $2.5M or less
• Operating in business from June 1 2019

HOW MUCH CAN YOU ASK FOR

• Eligible businesses with annual revenues of $1,000 to $100,000 can ask for $5,000
• Eligible businesses with annual revenues of $100,000 up to $1,000,000 can ask for $15,000
• Eligible businesses with annual revenues of $1,000,000 up to $2,500,000 can ask for $25,000

HOW WILL APPLICATIONS BE CHOSEN
Eligible businesses will be scored based on COVID-19 impact factors incorporated into the Program’s priority criteria so that distribution can take into account priority key factors, including the following:

1. Geographic distribution based on COVID-19 health and safety restrictions following California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and county status and the new Regional Stay At Home Order;
2. Industry sectors most impacted by the pandemic; and
3. Underserved small business groups served by the State supported network of small business centers (i.e., businesses majority owned and run on a daily basis by women, minorities/persons of color, veterans and businesses located in low-to-moderate income and rural communities). 

FIND ALL INFO HERE: https://careliefgrant.com/

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