California Business and Commerce Grants

This funding opportunity provides up to $30 million for projects that develop publicly accessible hydrogen refueling and charging infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles in disadvantaged and low-income communities along key highway corridors in California.

The Kern Community Foundation's Women’s and Girls’ Fund is offering grants between $10,000 to $100,000 for one year to 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Kern County, California, that aim to enhance educational attainment and STEM interest for women and girls, with a focus on improving test scores, literacy, graduation rates, and vocational training opportunities.

This program provides financial assistance to small businesses in Malibu that have experienced economic hardship due to recent natural disasters, helping them cover essential operational costs for recovery.

This program provides financial assistance to small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles County that were significantly affected by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, helping them recover and rebuild.

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is launching the Commercial Acquisition Fund (CAF) to provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations to support the acquisition of vacant or abandoned land and buildings in designated communities that were most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Donor Name: Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity State: California County: Los Angeles County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/20/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The program goal is to acquire vacant or abandoned commercial properties in Los Angeles County, particularly those identified as highest and high need areas per the County’s COVID-19 Vulnerability and Recovery Index in the Equity Explorer Tool.  Funding Information The CAF is funded by the County, with $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and will be awarded as recoverable grants, ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000. Eligibility Criteria To be eligible to receive these funds you must meet the following requirements to become a Qualifying Acquisition Entity (QAE): Be an active nonprofit (including community development corporations / community land trusts). Be a LA County certified business partnered with a non-profit. Not be disbarred by federal, State, or local government entity or have unresolved violations noted in the County’s contracting database. For more information, visit DEO.

This program provides funding to four designated initiatives to support dairy businesses in developing, marketing, and distributing innovative dairy products while enhancing regional resilience and farmer income.

The MORE program was established to replace the state's underutilized Mobilehome Park Rehabilitation and Resident Ownership Program (MPPROP). Under the new MORE Program, the types of eligible applicants were expanded to include local public entities, qualified nonprofit housing sponsors and in some cases private MobilehomePark owners. The changes to this section of the HSC also allow for Mobilehome Parks that do not have a permit to operate or whose permit has been suspended to utilize MORE program funds. Key policy goals of the MORE program captured in the guidelines include:-Rehabilitation of Mobilehome Parks that have the most severe health and safety concerns;-Providing funding for the rehabilitation and/or replacement of individualMobilehomes;-The creation of Affordability Restrictions for assisted Mobilehome Parks.

This funding initiative provides $5,000 to support independent animation worker cooperatives in California that focus on creating inclusive stories and promoting equity in the creative industry.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local governments, Tribal entities, nonprofits, and for-profit businesses to improve glass recycling by purchasing collection bins and facilitating the processing of empty glass beverage containers.

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The City of Sacramento Office of Innovation and Economic Development is now accepting applications for grants to fund organizations that help start-up businesses and entrepreneurs in Sacramento Donor Name: City of Sacramento State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/09/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Incubator and Accelerator Grants are focused on nurturing and supporting early-stage businesses with an end goal of the participants of the funded incubator and accelerator programs starting or growing their own business, spurring innovation, and stimulating economic development in the Sacramento region. Companies and non-profits are invited to apply to fund incubator and accelerator programs for a cohort of startups with high growth potential and innovative solutions. These programs should provide support through a combination of the following services:  Mentorship and Coaching: Guidance from experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and mentors on business development, strategy, marketing, fundraising and more;  Educational Programs: Training sessions or workshops on topics such as business planning, market research, product development, and financial management;  Product Development Support: Assistance or guidance on prototyping, testing, iteration, and product refinement based on market research;  Legal and Administrative Support: Assistance with legal, accounting, and administrative tasks such as business incorporation, intellectual property protection, and contracts;  Marketing and Branding Support: Assistance in identifying and reaching target audiences and customers through marketing and public relations strategies;  Strategic Partnerships: Connections with other startups, industry leaders, corporate entities, and business support organizations to expand access to resources and expertise; Access to Funding: Pitch training and hosting pitch events, demo days, and introductions to investors including venture capital firms, angel investors, and government grants; and  Office Space: Access to shared office space for startups to work and collaborate. Funding Information The City has allocated approximately $500,000 for this Incubator and Accelerator Grant solicitation. Grant requests may be for no more than $100,000. Proposed incubator or accelerator cohorts must be completed within a 12-month contract period.  Eligible Activities Examples of what expenditures this grant may be used for include:  Program development and delivery;  Salaries for staff delivering programming;  Stipends for volunteers and participants;  Training supplies and equipment;  Office space and co-working membership fees;  Marketing and public relations for program recruitment;  Food and non-alcoholic beverages provided to participants at the funded programs (costs cannot exceed 5% of the grant total);  Scholarships for program participants;  Software subscription fees; and Professional services Eligibility Criteria Applicants must meet the baseline requirements outlined below:  Applicants must operate from a fixed place of business within the Sacramento city limits, except as follows:  Applicants that do not operate from a fixed place of business within the city limits are eligible if grant-supported programming is provided within the city limits, and  Applicants must be in compliance with current and past City grants. For more information, visit City of Sacramento.

The Zoo Labs: FUND, administered in partnership with the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), is a funding and investment initiative designed to support Bay Area entrepreneurs who are launching or growing businesses centered around music. With a strong emphasis on culturally-rooted artist teams, the program offers unrestricted funding to music ventures that align with values of cultural preservation, innovation, economic empowerment, and community enrichment. In 2025, the FUND will distribute a total of $230,000 in grants, prioritizing artist teams that face barriers to accessing capital and are committed to contributing to the Bay Area's creative ecosystem. Zoo Labs: FUND provides grants in four tiers: $5,000, $15,000, $25,000, and $50,000, with award size contingent upon the team’s business development stage. Eligibility requires applicant teams of at least two individuals, including one culturally-rooted artist, who all reside full-time in specified Bay Area counties. Teams may include various roles such as content creators, producers, engineers, and advisors, and must be operating a music-centered business, whether as a nonprofit, sole proprietorship, or for-profit organization. Prior grantees may reapply if they meet reporting and mentorship obligations from previous awards. Applicants must complete an online submission through CCI’s Submittable platform between May 19 and July 7, 2025. Required materials include a team pitch video, business matrix, one work sample, and a budget with notes. Applications are assessed based on the strength of the team, artistry and craft, entrepreneurship, and internal and external community impact. An independent panel reflecting diverse backgrounds will review the materials and recommend grantees. The notification of awards is scheduled for September 8, 2025. In addition to receiving financial support, awardees gain access to mentorship opportunities through Zoo Labs: LEARN. These include on-demand courses, virtual networking sessions, and for higher-tier recipients, a strategy session with Zoo Labs Co-Founder Vinitha Watson. All grantees must attend a virtual orientation on October 15, 2025, and participate in at least one one-on-one business mentorship session. Recipients of $25,000 or $50,000 grants are also invited to serve as voluntary mentors to future applicants. The grant supports activities from September 2025 through September 2026. For assistance, applicants can contact CCI via email at [email protected] or phone at 415.288.0530. Additional technical support is available through Submittable. Information sessions and office hours are scheduled throughout June and early July to assist prospective applicants in preparing strong submissions. All applicants are encouraged to review the guidelines, FAQs, and application preview before seeking support. The Zoo Labs: FUND is made possible with support from Vinitha and David Watson and individual donors. Contributions are welcomed to expand the program’s reach. The FUND continues to invest in artistic legacies that reflect the diversity, resilience, and creativity of Bay Area communities.

The non-Entitlement competitive grant program component prioritizes assistance to persons experiencing or At risk of homelessness and investments that increase the supply of housing to households with incomes of 60 percent or less of area median income. A. Eligible Applicants. An Applicant must be a Non-Entitlement Local Government. A Non-Entitlement Local Government means a Local Government in an area which is not a metropolitan city or part of an urban county, a Local Government that, as of September 1, 2017, was an incorporated city with a population of less than 50,000 or a county with an unincorporated area population of less than 200,000 persons, which had not entered into a three-year Urban County Cooperation Agreement, or a Local Government that was not otherwise entitled to receive CDBG funds directly from HUD. See Appendix A for a list of eligible Applicants for Non-Entitlement Local Government for fiscal year 2019-20. For applications that include the development of a Rental Housing project, the Sponsor must be a co-Applicant with the Non-Entitlement Local Government, pursuant to Guidelines Section 400. Sponsor includes the general partner(s); if there are two general partners, both must submit all the required co-Applicant documents. B. Eligible Activities. Pursuant to Guidelines Section 401, eligible activities under this PLHA competitive NOFA are limited to the following and must take place within the jurisdiction of the Applicant Local Government: 1. Development of new multifamily rental housing that is Affordable to households at or below 60 percent of AMI or substantial rehabilitation of multifamily rental housing that will be Affordable to households at or below 60 percent of AMI, but which is not currently restricted as Affordable housing. In order to be eligible as “substantial rehabilitation”, a project must complete a minimum of $40,000 per unit in hard construction costs; or 2. Assistance to persons who are experiencing or At risk of homelessness, including, but not limited to, through rapid rehousing, or rental assistance, supportive services and case management services that allow people to obtain and retain housing, operating and capital costs for navigation centers, or new construction, rehabilitation, or preservation of permanent or transitional rental housing C. Funding Limits The maximum application amount, including administrative costs, for the development of new multifamily rental housing or substantial rehabilitation of a multifamily rental housing project, or development of a navigation center is $3 million. The minimum application amount shall be $500,000.  

As part of the Tustin Cares program, the City of Tustin is offering a four-week Main Street Digital Training and Grant Program (Main Street Digital Program) in partnership with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (OCIE SBDC). Donor Name: City of Tustin State: California City: Tustin Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/05/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Main Street Digital Program will provide training and funding to retail businesses, home-based businesses, and nonprofits (collectively, “Business or Businesses”) seeking to increase their social media presence and/or revenue. Eligibility Criteria  To be eligible to apply for the Tustin Main Street Digital Program, participating entities must meet certain criteria that has been established by the City of Tustin. General Terms and Conditions The Business applicant must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for grant funding: The Business must either be a retail business, home-based business or nonprofit physically located in Tustin; Cannabis-related businesses, gambling facilities, adult entertainment businesses, massage parlors, and largely cash-based businesses are not eligible; Residential or real estate projects including short-term rental operators are also not eligible; Businesses must have had an active Tustin business license since the first quarter (January – March) of 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the Business must have a minimum of 2 employees –which may also include owner – and no more than twenty-five (25) full-time equivalent employees (two part-time employees equal one full-time employee); The Business must be in good standing with the City (current on bills, no liens or judgements, etc.), unless directly correlated to COVID-19 impacts; The Business must submit the application and all required supporting documentation. For more information, visit City of Tustin.

The City of La Verne's Business Assistance Grant Program in California provides eligible businesses with one-time $2,500 grants to support their re-opening, job creation and retention, and provision of quality services to La Verne residents. Recipients can use the grant funds for various purposes, including overhead expenses, rent, utilities, business services like web development to enhance capacity, and essential equipment for ongoing operations.

Grant Opportunity: California: Nevada County Microbusiness Grants Program (Round 2) The Nevada County Microbusiness Grants Program aims to provide relief to microbusinesses and entrepreneurs severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns. A total of $107,500 in relief funds will be distributed by Nevada County, with administration and technical assistance provided by Sierra Business Council. Eligible uses of funds include purchasing certified equipment, investing in working capital, obtaining or renewing local permits, paying business debt accrued due to the pandemic, and covering costs resulting from pandemic-related health and safety restrictions or business interruptions. To qualify as a "qualified microbusiness," entities must meet specific criteria related to their physical address within Nevada County, commencement of operations before December 31, 2019, significant impact from the pandemic evidenced by revenue reduction or attestation, annual revenues below $50,000 in 2019, and primary income source for the owner in 2019. For more details and application information, visit the Microbusiness Grants website.

Grants for the Arts defines Arts Services as programs or services providing capacity building for other San Francisco-based arts and culture organizations and/or artists. Donor Name: City and County of San Francisco State: California County: San Francisco County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  06/07/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Areas of Support Areas of support include but are not limited to: Audience development Cultural competency and racial equity action plans Fiscal sponsorship Financial management and literacy Fundraising and development Grant writing Laws and regulations as they apply to the arts and culture sector Marketing and publicity Mentorship Nonprofit governance Professional development Regranting Programs (Creating, managing, and financing small grants to San Francisco-based artists and/or nonprofit arts and culture organizations, for an administrative fee not to exceed 10 percent of the grant amount). Space/capital planning and evaluations Strategic and business planning Technical assistance. Funding Information Arts Services FY24 grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $140,000. These amounts do not reflect FY25 and FY26 grant amounts for Art Services. Grant Period July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026. Eligibility Criteria for Organizations The applicant organization must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) organization and in good standing with the IRS under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Visit the IRS website to check or update your status. If the applicant organization is not a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6), they may use a fiscal sponsor, but the fiscal sponsor must apply on the applicant organization’s behalf. The applicant organization must be San Francisco-based. For non-fiscally sponsored applicant organizations only: The organization must demonstrate a San Francisco corporate address. For non-fiscally sponsored applicant organizations only: Documentation demonstrating verifiable proof of a San Francisco corporate address must be submitted with the application. This may be in the form of a utilities bill (water/sewage, power/gas/electricity or internet), telephone/cell phone bill, bank or credit card statement, signed lease agreement or mortgage statement. Documents should be no more than three (3) months old and must include the applicant organization’s name. For more information, visit City and County of San Francisco.

The City of Riverside Small & Micro Business Grant Program is designed to support local small business resiliency consultation to identify areas for improvement and build customized strategies to increase financial stability, long-term sustainability, and capacity for success. Donor Name: City of Riverside State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: In addition to direct financial support, all applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a FREE one-on-one Strategic Planning Consultation to identify opportunities for improvement and build customized strategies to increase financial stability, long-term sustainability, and capacity for success. The goal of the City of Riverside Small & Micro Business Grant Program is to address not only continuing pandemic recovery needs, but, as provided for in the Department of Treasury State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), it is intended to support long-term resiliency and growth of local small businesses, promote access to valuable partner resources, and reduce the barriers to success faced by small businesses in disadvantaged communities. Eligibility Criteria Privately-Owned, For-Profit Business in operation Prior to 3/13/20 The term “Business” includes Self-Employed Individuals, Entrepreneurs, Sole Proprietors, 1099 Independent Contractors, Home-Based Operations, Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs), C-Corporations, etc. Individuals who started a business (became self-employed) due to covid employment challenges prior to 1/1/23 Located within City Limits of City of Riverside Must have a physical business address (or residential address if home-based) If you are unsure about your location, you can search your address via the “Find My Ward” map.  Please Note: If you are not within a shaded area, you are unfortunately not eligible. Are Categorically Eligible (Presumed Impacted by ARPA) and/or Can Demonstrate Covid Financial Impact Decreased revenue or gross receipts Increased costs Challenges covering operating expenses such as payroll, rent, utilitities, etc. Lower capacity to weather financial hardship due to depleted savings, selling off assets, lack of working capital, etc. Other covid related impacts may be considered on a case-by-case basis Annual Gross Revenue between $10K – $2.5 Million Under 50 Employees (including the owners) Active & In Good Standing with all City, County, State, & Federal Entities Funding Information Grant awards of up to $25,000. For more information, visit City of Riverside.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations for repairing, replacing, and installing electric vehicle charging ports in California to improve the reliability and accessibility of the state's EV charging infrastructure.

The City of Long Beach is launching ” Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program,” a program designed to propel small businesses towards success and sustainability. Donor Name: City of Long Beach State: California City: Long Beach Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/21/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: This initiative offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to connect with essential support resources and undergo comprehensive workshops aimed at crafting new business and marketing plans. Upon completion of the program, participants become eligible to apply for $10k grants, empowering them to expand their business capacity and enhance resilience. With a focus on igniting growth and fostering excellence, the City’s Economic Development Department will select a group of 25 small businesses for this exclusive opportunity. Through a series of no-cost training sessions, participants will delve into strategic business planning, marketing, branding, social media optimization, access to capital, government procurement opportunities, permitting and licensing insights, merchandising techniques, networking strategies, biz-to-biz mentorship, talent recruitment, and personalized business counseling. Eligibility Criteria  Must be located and operating within the boundaries of Long Beach, California with a storefront location accessible to the public. Must have been in business for a minimum of 3 years as of 4/23/2024. Must be an independently-owned, for-profit business including sole proprietorships, LLC’s or Corporations that are not publicly traded (franchises and large chains with 10 or more locations are not eligible). 501(c)3 nonprofits may also apply. Must have a City of Long Beach business license. The business must hold an active or delinquent license. Businesses that have closed or cancelled their licenses are not eligible for the program. Must be currently open and active for business. Must earn no more than $5 million in annual gross revenue. Corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships must have an “ACTIVE” status with the California Secretary of State. Program selection and awards will be determined by a selection committee based on the following criteria: Representation of businesses across all parts of the city with priority for businesses located in low-to-moderate income areas Representation of businesses across multiple sectors Business readiness and potential impact   of program participation. Ineligibility  Businesses without a physical location in Long Beach, CA Businesses that are permanently closed Government entities or elected official offices Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities Passive businesses, investment companies, and investors who file a Schedule E on their personal tax returns Churches and other religious organizations Financial businesses primarily engaged in the business of lending, such as banks and finance companies Landlords and property managers (unless repairing on behalf of a small business) Businesses engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state, or local law Businesses engaged in any socially undesirable activity or activity that may be considered predatory in nature such as check cashing businesses Businesses that have active and unresolved code enforcement and COVID-19 Health Order violations Cannabis-related businesses. For more information, visit City of Long Beach.