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Small Business Relief Fund

The County and City of Los Angeles and partners have launched the new LA Region Small Business Relief Fund to provide cash assistance grants for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the windstorm and wildfires. Small Businesses and nonprofits with revenue of up to $6 million and less than 100 employees may be eligible to receive cash assistance grants from $2,000 to $25,000 depending on disaster impact.

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Applications are closed as of March 12, 2025 at 5pm. Phase 2 Fund notices will be shared Week of April 7th

Frequently Asked Question

Application Guidelines

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Grant Awards

Grant amounts are subject to change depending on demand and funds donated. Grants amounts are based on the following factors:

Brick-and-Mortar Businesses/Nonprofits:
Brick-and-mortar businesses/nonprofits shall include any licensed and permitted business operating from a commercial space. It shall not include co-working spaces that are temporary in nature. Grantees will receive cash assistance grants in the following amounts:

  • $25,000 Fully destroyed locations. These businesses will receive 1st consideration before any other business that incurred other types of impact is considered.
  • $20,000 Partially destroyed locations.
  • $15,000 Loss of revenue only.

Home-Based Businesses/Independent Contractors/Nonprofits:
Home-based businesses/nonprofits shall include any licensed and permitted business/nonprofit operating from a home. Independent contractors shall include any licensed and permitted contractor operating in the impacted areas. Grantees will receive cash assistance grants in the following amounts:

  • $5,000: Loss of revenue and business equipment/inventory. These businesses will receive 1st consideration before any other business that incurred other types of impact is considered.
  • $2,000: Loss of revenue only.
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Eligible Applicants

Grantee must be financially impacted by the windstorm and wildfires that took place starting January 7th, 2025.

Grantees must have a business or nonprofit that is:

  • Headquartered within the boundaries of Los Angeles County; and
  • Operating within at least one of the following: Fire Zone, Evacuation Order Level 3 Zone, or Evacuation Warning Level 2 Zone during Disaster period.

Grantees must meet following revenue and business size:

  • Businesses, including affiliates, must have 100 or fewer employees and an average annual gross receipt of $6 million or less.
  • Nonprofits social service providers with a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 501(c)(19) designation must serve low-to-moderate income communities and have annual gross revenue of $6 million or less.

Grantees must be independently owned businesses and nonprofits that sell or provide services and/or products.

The business owner applying for the grant must be the majority owner and manager of the qualified business and the owner’s primary means of income in the 2024 taxable year. Person applying on behalf of a nonprofit must be its Executive Officer or President.

Grantees must be active businesses currently in operation and in good standing with all local, state and federal taxing and licensing authorities.

Required Documents

Please view Frequently Asked Questions for full list of required documents and accepted alternatives.

Application Support

The County and City have teams ready to troubleshoot technical difficulties, host how-to webinars on the application process, provide direct, one-on-one application support, and connect you to other business resources.

Tech Support

 If you have technical difficulties or have any general questions, you can contact the Tech Support:

📞 Text or Call: (213) 523-3231

📧 Email: support@lacbusiness.aidkit.org 

Webinars and Events

There are webinars on to guide you through
the application process.

Click below to watch a webinar.

Business Resources

Disaster Recovery Centers

Disaster Recovery Centers are open to the public from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Find local, state, and federal partners with programs, services, and resources for small businesses and nonprofits.

UCLA

UCLA Research Park West
10850 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Altadena

Disaster Recovery Center
540 W. Woodbury Road
Altadena, CA 91001

For current information, visit:
https://recovery.lacounty.gov/recovery-centers/

Emergency Resource Hub

For other relief and recovery resources, including loans and grants, please visit DEO’s emergency Resources Hub for Workers and Business Impacted by the Windstorm and Wildfires.

One-on-one Technical Assistance from a Business Provider

Click here for full list of assistance providers.

If you have a business anywhere in LA County:

Office of Small Business

Make an Appointment!

DEO’s Office of Small Business provides businesses guidance, assistance, and referrals.

4716 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90022
Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

📞Phone: (844) 432-4900
📧 Email: osb@opportunity.lacounty.gov

Learn More about the Office of Small Business

If your business is within LA City’s boundaries:

Businesses in the City of LA can find their address at here

LA BusinessSource Centers

BusinessSource Centers (BSCs) provide one-on-one assistance to businesses at NO COST. Find a BusinessSource Center near you:

📞Phone: (213) 744-7300

Contact:
www.ewddlacity.com/index.php/about-ewdd/contact-ewdd

Find a BSC

Grantee Selection

Applicants will be reviewed, scored and prioritized using criteria determined by the City and County of Los Angeles to ensure funds go to businesses most impacted by the windstorm and wildfires. Eligible applicants will be prioritized according to the impact they incurred because of the emergency disaster, starting with brick-and-mortar businesses and nonprofits in the fire or evacuation zone that had their locations fully destroyed.

Partially destroyed businesses and those that only incurred a loss in revenue will be considered thereafter. A percentage of funding is set aside for home-based businesses located in the fire or evacuation zones and independent contractors operating in the fire or evacuation zones. If there are more eligible applicants with the same score than grants available, grantees will be chosen through a lottery system. All applications submitted by the application closing date will receive equal consideration with no additional priority given to those that apply first. Grant funds will be provided to selected applicants via direct deposit. Individual business owners will only be able to receive one small business grant even if multiple businesses were impacted.

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Stay Connected

Visit the resource hub for businesses and workers impacted by the windstorm and wildfires: Emergency Resources for Workers and Businesses – Department of Economic Opportunity

Stay connected and get notified on the latest information and resources by signing up here. Follow @EconOppLA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about our upcoming programs and opportunities.

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