The City of West Hollywood is launching its COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program, aimed at assisting small businesses financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City has allocated $250,000 in general funds to create the Small Business Grant Program, which will assist eligible and qualified small businesses with $5,000 in funding to meet operating expenses and retain or hire staff.
On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 8 a.m. the City of West Hollywood will open its COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program to begin the process of administering up to $250,000 in $5,000 grants to eligible businesses on a first-come, first-served basis. The online application will be available at www.weho.org/business starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 10, 2021; the application period will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2021. Applicants will be notified of their grant status by the week of March 8, 2021.
Eligibility criteria for the Small Business Grant Program includes:
- Business must be located in the City of West Hollywood, commenced operations prior to March 16, 2020, and be in good standing;
- Business must be a brick-and-mortar business that has at least one physical location within the City of West Hollywood that a customer can visit;
- Business has been impacted by COVID-19, via Los Angeles County Public Health Orders or otherwise;
- Business must not have received any COVID-19 funding from Federal, State, and County through December 31, 2020;
- Business must have 50 or fewer full-time employees;
- Business must have $2.5 million or less in gross revenues over the previous four quarters based on available data at the time of application;
- Business has not received any OUT Zone infrastructure; and
- Proof that business applied for Federal, State, or County COVID-19 relief funding after January 1, 2021.
Applicants must upload their current City of West Hollywood Business License; IRS Form 941 documenting number of employees or other documentation showing employees as of December 2020; and most recent tax return filed. Awardees of the Small Business Grant must also complete the City of West Hollywood’s Grant Agreement.
The City will present an informational webinar about the Small Business Grant Program application process on Thursday, January 11, 2021 at 10 a.m. for those needing technical assistance. Register online at:https://app.livestorm.co/city-of-west-hollywood/west-hollywood-small-business-grant-program.
For more information, contact City of West Hollywood Management Specialist Paolo Kespradit at pkespradit@weho.org.
