San Bernardino creates grant program for small business and non-profits

The City of San Bernardino, in partnership with the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC), has launched a new program to assist the growth of local small businesses and non-profit organizations. The Small Business and Non-Profit Training and Grant Program will provide grant funding between $10,000 and $35,000 to each participating organization.

The Mayor and City Council allocated $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to this program – $2 million for small businesses and $1 million for non-profits. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first served basis to eligible San Bernardino based organizations that complete an online application, participate in an SBDC training program, and receive a one-on-one consultation session with an SBDC consultant.

“The pandemic and other external forces have made it tough for our small businesses and non-profits in recent years,” said San Bernardino Council Member Theodore Sanchez. “These grants will help our local organizations stabilize, recover, and grow moving forward.”

Small businesses, including home-based businesses, with a maximum of five hundred employees (full and part-time) and non-profits including 501(c)3 or 501(c)19 with a principal office located within the City of San Bernardino and operating since at least July 2019 may be eligible to receive a grant.

The grant amounts are based upon the organization’s gross receipts in 2019, 2020, or 2021 and range between $10,000 and $35,000. Small businesses must have gross revenues above $50,000 and below $2,500,000. Non-profits must have gross revenues above $100,000.

“The Mayor and City Council recognize the importance of our small business and non-profit community in San Bernardino. They are our local employers, our service providers, our shops, and restaurants,” said San Bernardino Economic Development Manager Amanda Hernandez. “We strongly encourage eligible organizations to apply as soon as possible while funds are still available.”

Applications can be submitted at https://ociesmallbusiness.org/san-bernardino-arpa/.

The deadline for non-profits to apply is November 21 and the deadline for small business to apply is 5:00 on Friday, December 12. Any funds leftover from the $1 million non-profit pool will be rolled into the small business pool with priority given to eligible applicants in the order they applied for the program.

Grant funds may be used for working capital to cover the day-to-day business operating expenses such as rent/lease payments, mortgage payments, payroll and benefit costs, utility expenses, inventory, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) or other similar expenses that occur in the normal course of operations.

For additional information regarding the Small Business & Non-Profit Training & Grant Program, please contact the City of San Bernardino Economic Development Department at (909) 384-5357 or  [email protected]