STOCKTON, Calif. – A second round of funding for the City of Stockton Small Business Relief Grant program is now available to help small businesses. Grants of $3,000 can be used for inventory, working capital (e.g. rent, payroll, utilities), and/or equipment. New applications will be accepted using an online portal, beginning Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at noon; the system will close to applications on Monday, August 17, 2020, at noon.
“When we first offered the Small Business Relief Grant Program in April, it was clear that there is a high need in Stockton,” said Carrie Wright, Director of Economic Development. “We funded 172 grants with available resources, and since then, we have been determined to make additional funding opportunities available to more of our small businesses. We can now fund all the eligible applicants from April, so an additional 450 small businesses have been notified that they will receive grants from those applications submitted earlier this year. Plus, we will have enough funding to offer grants to another round applicants.”
The Small Business Relief Program is intended to provide financial assistance and temporary relief for local small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.
To be considered for funding, a completed Small Business Relief Grant Program application must be submitted online through the application portal. Applications are available online in multiple languages. Review of applications will be in partnership with Visit Stockton. Applications must meet the following eligibility requirements:
· A valid and current City of Stockton Business License number.
· Business address location is within the city limits of the City of Stockton.
· Proof of operational business in the City of Stockton since at least January 1, 2020, which will be validated by the business license.
· Must be open and/or serving the public or ready to open when State and County Orders allow for opening. Note: Businesses that have permanently closed operations are not eligible for funding.
· Must be in good business standing, (i.e., have a valid business license, no delinquent accounts, no delinquent property taxes, liens, debarment, etc.).
· Must be either owned by a low-to-moderate income (LMI) household – or – 51% of the employees of the business must be LMI households.
· Must be a for-profit, eligible business type. The following are not eligible for funding: nonprofits, religious organizations, real estate/realtors, financing businesses, tax preparers, liquor stores, check cashing businesses, smoke shops, publicly traded companies, franchises, national chains, and cannabis businesses.
“To be considered for funding, businesses must meet all of the eligibility criteria and provide all of the required information,” continued Ms. Wright. “We are likely to receive more applications than we are able to fund, so it is important to make sure you have everything you need in front of you before you log into the portal to apply. For example, make sure that you have your current business license number, all the information you need to complete a W-9 form, and have a description of how you will use the funds.”
For more information, including Small Business Relief Grant Program guidelines, eligible business types and to complete an application, please visit www.AdvantageStockton.com/covid-19-resources or call (209) 937-8539.
Additional City of Stockton business resources, partner organizations, and other agencies offering COVID-19 assistance support and programs are also available at www.advantagestockton.com/covid-19-resources. Subscribe to the City of Stockton Economic Development Department newsletter for business-related news and resources through the Stockton Small Business Update email subscription.
For updates about the City’s response and current information related to COVID-19, please visit www.stocktonca.gov/updates, and subscribe to updates about City of Stockton actions, resources and information through the Ask Stockton email subscription list COVID-19 – Coronavirus.
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