Huntington Beach launches second micro-grant program to support small businesses

Huntington Beach will be distributing a total of $648,000 to local small businesses, the city’s second micro-grant program launched during the coronavirus pandemic.

Starting April 5, eligible small businesses in Surf City can apply to receive one of about 125 micro-grants of $5,000 each. The money is being offered through the city’s COVID-19 Small Business Micro-Grant Program.

Businesses that have not yet received COVID-19 funds from Huntington Beach will be prioritized, and the funds will be awarded via a lottery system.

“It’s targeted toward small businesses because small businesses are the lifeblood of Huntington Beach,” Mayor Kim Carr said. “Anything we can do to keep them afloat during this pandemic is critical.”

Applicants must have on staff from two to 10 full-time or part-time employees and be independently owned and operated, with the principal office in Huntington Beach. They must attest to being negatively affected by COVID-19 and hold a valid business in the city.

Due to federal regulations, the business must also meet at least one of the following criteria: be deemed nonessential and forced to close during the pandemic, have sales/revenues down more than 25% since the start of the pandemic and/or must have laid off at least one part-time or full-time employee.

Full criteria and more information on applying are available at hbready.com/biz-grants. There will also be a webinar about the program on Wednesday at 6 p.m. broadcast on the city’s YouTube page and a how-to-apply webinar on March 22 at 2 p.m.

The $648,000 in funding has been provided by Orange County. Last summer, Huntington Beach delivered grants of up to $10,000 to local small businesses through $4.75 million of federal CARES Act funds.

“It’s just another opportunity for the city to keep these small businesses up and running, give them that helping hand that they need right now,” Carr said. “This round is a lot smaller, but it’s still going to make an impact for a lot of these businesses. Anything that we can do to support these businesses, it’s desperately needed right now.”

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