Long Beach is offering microgrants to small businesses in the city through its Inclusive Business Navigators Program — and applications are open until later next month.
The goal is to support local startups and micro-entrepreneurs with access to small amounts of capital to launch or grow their businesses, the city announced.
The Inclusive Business Navigators Program, through the Long Beach Recovery Act, will distribute $2,500 and $5,000 grants to qualified businesses, with up to $80,000 in total funding, according to a Monday, July 29, press release.
“Access to capital should not prevent anyone from starting and growing a thriving business in Long Beach,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “Supporting our micro-businesses helps to advance the more inclusive and equitable economic growth of our city.”
Micro-businesses are encouraged to apply and take advantage of all the programs, resources and tools that Long Beach has available, Richardson added, such as the Inclusive Business Navigators Program.
The program, led by the Economic Development Department, provides free technical assistance, workshops, and business coaching/advising services to Long Beach small businesses, according to the city website.
Assistance is available for grant and loan applications, business planning, financial accounting, marketing and communications, operations and human resources, digital resources, government procurement, and more. That help is also available in multiple languages.
To be eligible for these microgrants, businesses must be located and operate in Long Beach; must be a startup (less than 2 years in operation) or a micro-business (no more than two full-time employees, including the business owner, and no more than $150,000 in annual revenue); must have a Long Beach business license or be actively working toward receiving a license; must be an independently owned and operated business that is not publicly traded; must be currently open and active for business.
Entrepreneurs interested in applying are encouraged to work with one of the city’s inclusive business navigators to complete a basic business plan and a plan for investing grant funds in their new or micro-business.
Applicants are also offered technical support to assist with the completion of the program application. Businesses can contact BizCare for referral at 562-570-4249 or email 4Biz@longbeach.gov.
Applications for the Inclusive Business Navigators microgrants are available at longbeach.gov/biznavigators. The last day to apply is by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26.
“These grants are an investment in our local entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their small business,” Economic Development Department Director Bo Martinez said in a statement. “Small businesses are the foundation of our city, and we’re committed to supporting entrepreneurs and fostering an environment where every business owner has the opportunity to flourish and thrive.”
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