The Santa Clarita City Council is expected to approve the city’s 2020 Small Business COVID Relief Grant Program on Tuesday, October 13, following Friday’s launch of Los Angeles County’s Small Business Revitalization Grant Program.

According to a synopsis by the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, the county Board of Supervisors aims to provide aid to businesses allowed to reopen by the state, but ordered to remain closed by the L.A. County Health Officer Order as of September 4, 2020.

The Supervisors created the county relief grant program with federal funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Target industries include:

* Breweries with no kitchen

* Wineries with no kitchen

* Miniature golf parks

* Batting cage facilities

* Kart racing centers

* Tanning salons

Eligible applicants will receive $30,000 to use for working capital such as:

* Employee payroll

* Working capital to continue operations

* Payment of outstanding business expenses

* Adaptive business practices needed to remain open.

Applications for this program will only be accepted for a one-week period, from noon Friday, October 9 through noon Friday, October 16.

Applications will be ranked via a lottery and applicants will be selected in the order ranked per the lottery process.

Program details are available here.

Businesses considering applying for the grant should note that the funds being used for these grants are extremely time-sensitive. It is imperative that applicants submit all documentation required, apply by the deadline, and respond to all LACDA communications in a timely manner.

Proposed Santa Clarita Plan

According to the city, would provide local small businesses a one-time financial reimbursement for expenses incurred from business interruption due to COVID-19 impacts. Santa Clarita small businesses, with 100 employees or fewer, would be eligible for reimbursable expenses up to $5,000.

Pending City Council approval on Tuesday, applications would open on Wednesday, October 14, at 8 a.m.

Applications will be available at ThinkSantaClarita.com/SmallBusinessCOVIDReliefGrant and will close Wednesday, October 28, at 5 p.m.

If approved, financial assistance will be distributed to eligible, qualified small businesses selected by a random lottery conducted by an independent, third-party vendor on October 29.

To obtain reimbursement, expenses must be related to business interruption due to COVID-19.

Expenses must have been incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020, with receipts provided to the city prior to reimbursement.

This may include:

* Personal protective equipment, such as masks, gloves, face shields, disposable gowns, and shoe covers

* Cleaning and sanitizing products

* Equipment related to remote working and distance learning

* Health screening services, such as temperature assessment and symptom screening

* Physical space modification to allow for social distancing indoors and to expand activities outdoors to continue business operations safely, according to current health order guidelines

* Adaptive business services, which allow a business to remain open while health order restrictions are in place. These include disinfecting services to provide increased sanitation and alternative disinfection procedures, such as ultrasonic waves, high-intensity UV radiation, and LED blue light methods.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted so many of the local businesses we love and many of them continue to struggle during these difficult times,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Cameron Smyth in a statement Friday. “This program would show support and ease the burden for small businesses by reimbursing the cost of necessary COVID-19 safety expenses.”

The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation will partner with the city of Santa Clarita on this program to provide one-time financial reimbursements to eligible businesses located throughout the SCV, both within the city of Santa Clarita and within the unincorporated areas, using the same criteria as noted above.

For more information on the proposed 2020 Santa Clarita Small Business COVID Relief Grant, including eligibility requirements, submission guidelines and more, visit ThinkSantaClarita.com/SmallBusinessCOVIDReliefGrant beginning Tuesday, October 13.

If you have additional questions, contact Administrative Analyst for Business Development, Monica Fawcett at mfawcett@santa-clarita.com.