Millions of dollars are still available for San Diego County grant programs designed to help small businesses and nonprofits affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Small Business Stimulus Grant program was established in 2020 to provide free money to eligible applicants who need help recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike the well-known Paycheck Protection Program loans distributed early in the pandemic, these county grants don’t have to be repaid.
Funding for this program comes from three sources.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the $47.5 million CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund and the County General Fund fund as an economic stimulus for restaurants and small businesses. In addition, the Board approved his $33 million in US Relief Plan Act funds as additional economic stimulus to small businesses.
Five districts of San Diego County each received an initial $9.5 million and were responsible for reviewing applications and distributing funds to eligible organizations.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer worked with supervisor Joel Anderson on a proposal last year to raise additional funding for the program to help small business owners recover. Since she took command of District 3 in January 2021, her office has distributed her $3,999,689 in grants, with an average award of about $10,000.
“Even the tiny amounts that were made available, from what I’ve heard from the companies that received the grants, were really $10,000, $20,000 and absolutely essential to get us through some really tough times.” “It’s especially important that we don’t lay off employees and make sure we can pay rent.”
She pointed out that this pot of money is not a typical business assistance fund. It is aimed at a company and requires the company to provide clear documentation of how the pandemic has affected them.
For example, businesses may have been in debt after paying rent for months, but they weren’t making any money while gatherings were banned, Lawson-Remer explained. The pandemic has hit small businesses of all kinds, but many of the affected businesses that have benefited from subsidies are those that rely on in-person gatherings such as local theaters and daycares. she said.
Businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 can verify their eligibility for this program and find contact information for district representatives on the county website.
Here’s how each district’s grant balance is, how much they’ve contributed to date, and whether they’re still accepting new applications.
District 1:
- Remaining money: $3,629,894
- Total amount allocated: $12,470,106
- Total Grants Granted To Date: 1,830
- Are you still accepting applications?yes
District 2:
- Remaining money: just over $3.2 million
- Total Funds Allocated: Over $12.8 Million
- Total grants awarded to date: Over 1,200 small businesses and nonprofits
- Are you still accepting applications?yes
District 3:
- Remaining money: $2,602,811
- Total amount allocated: $13,497,189
- Total grants granted to date: 2,596
- Are you still accepting applications?yes
District 4:
- Remaining money: $215,000
- Total amount allocated: $15,885,000
- Total Grants Granted To Date: 2,850
- Are you still accepting applications?No
District 5:
- Remaining money: $18,000
- Total amount allocated: $16,082,000
- Total Grants Granted To Date: 2,691
- Are you still accepting applications?No