California Rolls Out Second Round of Funding for Struggling Businesses

Stacked chairs line a restaurant in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Dec. 9, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Eligible small businesses and nonprofits in Orange County will be able to apply for a second round of grants through the state’s California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

Applications opened Feb. 2 and will be available through Feb. 8 until 6 p.m.

This second round of grant funding ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic who are qualified based on their most recent annual tax returns.

Small businesses operating in California must make an annual gross revenue of $2.5 million or less to qualify based on most recent available tax returns, and must have a minimum gross revenue of $1,000 per year.  Nonprofits must meet the same criterea.

There are currently 4.1 million small businesses in California.

Applicants who had incomplete applications during round one will be rolled over to round two, but they must complete the application fully and show tax documentation. A total of 344,000 applicants applied for the first round of grants.

“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,” the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Director Dee Dee Myers said in a statement.

“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.”

The state will elect applicants for the second round of grants on a rolling basis beginning Feb. 11 through Feb. 18.