November and December 2022
Lendistry, partnering with the state of CA, has a grant program for live venue businesses, such as movie theatres, outdoor venues, concern halls, small theatres, and similar organizations, with a focus on women and minority owned companies. The programs is known as the California Venue Program, and apply here. https://cavenuesgrant.com/
Oakland and Alameda County businesses can apply for free $10,000 grants from Comcast. Applicants need to be small businesses that are either owned by (1) women and/or (2) people of color. The Comcast Rise program will also provide free marketing services, help with branding, marketing and media programs and much more. Learn more and apply here. https://www.comcastrise.com/apply/
September and October 2022
Mission Community Services Corporation has a wide variety of free or low-cost businesses services. Monterey, Kern, and San Luis Obispo Counties. They have technical training, free government grant money to distribute and a women’s business center. There are also training courses for entrepreneurs and assistance for women, minorities, immigrants and farmers in the region. Learn more on the agency here https://www.mcscorp.org/
Lake County is offering the COVID 19 relief grant program to small businesses that were impacted by COVID. The grants will be, at most $2500, and the EDC (Economic Development Committee) is processing applications. Some of the funds will be allocated to women and/or minority owned businesses in the county. Learn more here, including a webinar. https://www.lakecountycaedc.org/
August 2022
Grants are available for the Sacramento Farm to Fork Festival. Bank of America, the Festival itself and Visit Sacramento. The funds will be allocated to minority, diverse, women, immigrant and disadvantaged businesses. The program is known as Vendor Impact Grant, and apply here. https://www.farmtofork.com/vendor-impact-grant/
July 2022
$10,000 grants are available in Sacramento County for either for-profit or non-profit businesses. Up to 750 organizations, including a large number of businesses owned by people of color, women, or veterans, will be receiving the funds. The financial assistance program, known as Sac4SmallBiz, is part of the COVID relief package the county has. Apply for grant money here. https://sac4smallbiz.org/
June 2022 and July 2022
Women owned restaurants in Los Angeles California can apply for grants from Her Academy. The funds are for smaller restaurants (under 1 million in revenue) that have been operating for at least one year. The financial assistance is combined 10 10 weeks of workshops, business development, and other resources. Apply here. https://www.regardingherfood.org/how-to-apply-2022
San Diego County businesses with under 50K in annual revenue can apply for the Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program. Up to $2500 is provided. Applications, and funds, are run in partnership with the Southwestern College’s Small Business Development Center. Priority is for minority, veteran, and women owned companies. The goal of the free government grants, from the county and state of CA, is to help very small businesses recover from the pandemic. Learn more, and apply here for the San Diego microgrants. https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/microbusinessgrant.html
Marin County is providing Microgrants in partnership with the Small Business Development Center as well as the Dominican University of California’s Barowsky School of Business. Up to $2500 will be given to each qualified small or micro business. The funds are part of a COVID relief program – meaning the assistance is to help businesses recover from the Pandemic. This is mostly for very small (micro businesses), and among other criteria the applicant needs to have less than $50,000 in annual revenue. To learn more or apply, dial (415) 482-1819 or contact the Marin Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
Tehama County is providing grant money to small businesses (under 16 employees) as part of the Small Business Comeback Program. Up to $5,000 is provided to each qualified small businesses, with applications in Spanish as well. The goal is to help businesses recover from COVID, and some of the grant money will be prioritized for businesses owned by people of color, veterans, and women as well as those that have not received financial aid in the past. The Chamber Grant Selection Committee has applications, and apply here https://redbluffchamber.com/eblasts/pdfs/2020-tc-sm-bus-grant-application.pdf
Riverside County is providing microgrants to businesses hit by COVID. The financial assistance is for existing microbusinesses with less than 5 employees. The applicant needs to have under 50,000 in revenue and be in operation since 2019 (prior to the pandemic). Special emphasis is for women, minority, veteran and businesses owned by people of color, including immigrants. Free grants applications are also in Spanish. Apply here. https://rivcoed.org/microbusiness-covid19-relief-grant-program.
April 2022, May 2022, and June 2022
Los Angeles Small Business Rental Assistance program is providing free grants ($2,500 to 15K) to companies that have a “brick and mortar” store front in the city. There is technical help from BusinessSource Centers, financial aid to pay rent on the storefront or utility bills, counseling and more. Priority is for disadvantaged businesses, such as immigrants, LGTBQ, minorities and women. The funding is part of the American Rescue Plan, and apply here. https://ewddlacity.com/index.php/recovery/rentassist
Lendistry has a number of programs for disadvantaged businesses, and most recently they are offering free COVID recover grants per the California Dream Fund. Applicants need to go through workshops and classes, such as the Technical Assistance Expansion Program (TAEP). The free grants provided will be up to $10,000, with a major focus on businesses owned by women as well as people of color. There is also financial assistance for entrepreneurs. Learn more on all the grants here. https://lendistry.com/grants-and-programs/
Restaurant owners can apply for free $3,000 grants as part of the Restaurants Care financial assistance program. It is for locations with under $3 million in annual revenue, and the restaurant must also use as their utility provider SoCalGas, PG&E, or SDG&E. As those utility companies are funding the program. Priority is given to restaurants owned by people of color and/or women as well as veterans, however any small restaurant can apply. Apply here. https://restaurantscare.org/resilience/
Umpqua Bank in California is partnering with KIVA to match, and amplify, interest free loans. The funds can help ax existing small business or start up gain the capital they need. Matching free grants are for women of any color (Black, White, Latina, immigrant, etc.) in California as well as other minorities. The financial aid is often combined with advice and support from Kiva Trustees in California. Learn more here. https://www.kiva.org/cc/umpquabank
The California Dream Fund is available statewide. Free government grants are offered to Black or Latino owned businesses, veterans, minority males, immigrants and other small, disadvantaged businesses that struggle to raise capital. There are dozens of application sites throughout the state, and all grant recipients will be provided other support from the California Technical Assistance Expansion Program (TAEP). Learn more or apply here. https://calosba.ca.gov/funding-grants-incentives/california-dream-fund-program/
Stockton and Kern County Black owned businesses, including women-owned, can apply for microgrants from the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce. The funds could go to hundreds of businesses, with a free grant of up to $10,000 provided to qualified companies. The financial aid program is run in partnership with the California Office of Small Business Advocate’s Dream Fund. There are also other free business services offered by the Chamber, including training programs, workshops, and more. https://fmbcc.com/resource/dream-fund/
March and April 2022
Santa Clara County Micro Business Grants are offered in partnership with the Enterprise Foundation. Women, veteran owned, and minorities get priority. Up to $2500 will be provided to qualified businesses, and the free government grant program will help MWBE and veterans that were impacted by COVID. The money can be used for inventory, working capital, rent, permitting and other costs. Learn more here. https://www.accesssbdc.org/mbcrg/
The Microenterprise Recovery Grant Program in Los Angeles is providing up to $15,000 grants to small businesses, with under 5 employees. A major focus is on helping women-owned microenterprises that operate in LA County as well. The grant money is aimed at businesses that have not received government financial assistance in the past and that are also recovering from COVID. The grants are also for businesses with a physical structure – not online only. Apply here. https://ewddlacity.com/index.php/recovery/microenterprise
The Sacramento County Microbusiness Grant Program is providing up to $2500 to each qualified businesses (as funding allows). Applicants need to be impacted by COVID, micro-businesses (under 50K in revenue) as well as be for-profit companies. The County of Sacramento and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate are coordinating this service county and statewide. All of the funds, which are loans, will be interest free. This in effect makes them the same as a grant. Read more. https://sac4micro.org/
February and March 2022
Nevada County $2500 microgrants are being issued to help businesses recover from COVID, including minority and women businesses. A major focus is on providing financial assistance to businesses that lack access to capital, especially Veteran, women, Minority, LGBTQ, those with bad credit, and others. Applicants need to have under 5 employees and less than $50K in annual revenue – so the focus is on microbusinesses. Learn more. https://mynevadacounty.com/3481/Microbusiness-Grants
Santa Clara County small businesses can get free government grants of up to $2500. The Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is helping small businesses, including MWBE, Asian, and Veteran companies that have had their sales and/or income impacted by COVID. The grant applications are offered in partnership with American Indian Chamber of Commerce, California Black Chamber of Commerce, CA Women’s Business Center Network and other non-profits. Apply here. https://careliefgrant.com/partner/santa-clara/
January and February 2022
Orange County small minority, veteran, women owned businesses can get a free $2500 grant as part of a COVID-relief program. The federal government, Orange County California, non-profits, and several cities are working together on the program. The free grants are for very small businesses (under 5 employees and 50K in revenue) among other criteria. Continue reading. https://www.oconestop.com/orange-county-microbusiness-grants
The California Dream Fund program is providing free $10,000 microgrants to entrepreneurs across the state. The money will be targeted towards small (micro) businesses that generally lack access to capital, such as minorities, immigrant, BIPOC, veteran, and other disadvantaged businesses. While various businesses can apply, a focus/priority is on technology companies, service businesses, child care, cottage food, retail, green technology, and high tech manufacturing. Applications are being handled by the The California Office of the Small Business Advocate. Apply here. as small business centers. https://calosba.ca.gov/local-direct-assistance/small-business-centers/
Small businesses in Kern County can apply for free government grants of up to $2500. Applicants need to have less than 5 full time employees and have been impacted by COVID, as the money is part of a COVID relief program. Some funds will be reserved/allocated for immigrant, women, minority, and farmer type businesses in the county. Applications will be processed by the Community Action Partnership of Kern as well as the MCSC Kern Women’s Business Center. There are also business development programs at those local non-profits. Learn more. https://www.capk.org/
December 2021 and January 2022
San Leandro businesses (in Alameda County) is providing free grants to small businesses so that MWBE businesses can pay their rent or other key operating expenses. The funds are targeted at certain expenses. The financial aid program is known as Small Business Recovery Grants, and the business needs to be a “brick and mortar” business (so a physical location. Apply here. https://www.sanleandro.org/767/COVID-19-Business-Resources
Newark business that have been impacted by the COVID pandemic can apply for free government grants. Up to 75 businesses will be assisted. Some funds will be allocated to veterans, BIPOC, LGTBQ and other disadvantaged companies in Newark CA. The assistance program is known as Newark Small Business Grant – ECGP, and there are 3 tiers to who may be assisted. Funds can help with rent, payroll costs, inventory, insurance taxes and more. Read more and apply here. https://www.newark.org/businesses/arpa-cares-small-business-grants
There are California grants from 2021 as well. The agencies that operated them can serve as a referral or give business owners more information. Locate 2021 MWBE Grants and Loans in California.
By Jon McNamara