Apply now for the state’s COVID relief grant

California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), announced that the deadline for the first round of applications for the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will be extended until January 13, 2021.

The program, which officially opened December 30, experienced high traffic—receiving thousands of completed applications. However, due to the high traffic, some businesses may have had trouble accessing the application. Adjustments to the program’s website have been made and the application period has been extended to ensure that all interested applicants have the opportunity to apply. The Round 1 application deadline has been extended from January 8 to January 13, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. 

This grant program is not first come, first served, nor a rolling approval process. All applications will be reviewed following the now extended application deadline. The funds will then be disbursed as originally planned to avoid any possible delay to small business owners receiving their grants.
The State’s selected intermediary, Lendistry, a Community Development Financial Institution, is working with other mission-based lenders and small business advisory and technical assistance providers to help small businesses with the application process in multiple languages and formats. Many of the State-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of technical assistance to underserved business groups, are also available to help. For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, as well as to find a local partner, please visit careliefgrant.com.

Editor’s note: The COURIER applied for this grant days ago when the website went live. To apply, you will need to select an L.A. County partner that provides the application questionnaire. After completion, the next step is downloading documents such as your 2019 tax returns, for example.

However, the website is so overwhelmed, there is no link to download your documents to finish. We were told an email would be sent shortly with a link that allows us to do so. But it’s still important you start and fill out the questionnaire, to keep your place in line to download. This is not a first come first served process, but getting in line is an important step to receive that email link to download and complete the application.

If you have any other questions, you can contact me at: pweinberger@claremont-courier.com.  —PW 

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