Applications are now being accepted for a second round of grant funding from the SLO City Small Business Relief Fund.
The Fund was first created in August with $260,000 from CARES Act funding and private donations. Fifty-two businesses were each awarded $5,000.
The City of San Luis Obispo has allocated another $500,000 for the second round of grant funding. The money is coming from the city's General Fund, as a result of the recent passage of Measure G, and will be allocated to local businesses with fewer than 50 employees in the form of 100, $5,000 grants.
Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, and grant recipients will be notified by January 31.
Click here to apply.
Eligibility requirements:
- For-profit businesses owned and operated within the city limits of San Luis Obispo
- The business must have a current Business License and have no active or ongoing enforcement cases
- Be a sole proprietor and/or employer with no more than 50 employees (full-time and part-time)
- Be locally and independently owned (businesses not part of a national/regional chain or franchise preferred)
- Be a business that has experienced a significant decline in revenue due to COVID-19 beginning January 2020 through December 2020
- Previous grant recipients from the Comevo and SLO Chamber countywide fund and the first round of the SLO City Small Business Relief will not be disqualified, although preference will be given to those who have not yet been awarded a grant
The grant can be used for:
- Paying rent and utilities
- Payroll expenses
- Cost of PPE and cleaning supplies needed to comply with public health guidelines
- Capital improvements needed to comply with public health guidelines
- Paying outstanding debt to vendors, if those debts were incurred after March 1, 2020
- Other immediate operational costs
Businesses that do not qualify for the grant are encouraged to contact the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce for information on other available assistance.
