The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity has opened applications for nearly $500,000 in grants designed to help 100 entrepreneurs and small businesses launch commercial operations.
The Small Business Mobility Fund includes two new grant programs: Launch Grants offering $5,000 to $10,000 for businesses opening brick-and-mortar locations in unincorporated areas, and Entrepreneurship Academy Grants providing up to $2,000 for graduates of the department's educational programs.
Launch Grants provide $5,000 for non-retail commercial spaces such as offices and warehouses, and $10,000 for retail spaces with storefronts. Priority goes to businesses dislocated by recent wildfires or opening near fire-affected areas, as well as those creating jobs in areas with higher unemployment rates according to the county's Equity Explorer Map. Eligible expenses include tenant or facade improvements, signage and building permits.
Entrepreneurship Academy Grants support graduates of 8 to 10-week cohort-based programs launched in 2024. The academies have graduated 819 participants across all five supervisorial districts, with each receiving business, marketing and financial plans along with foundational business strategies.
"We're focused on breaking down barriers for our small and micro businesses to grow, thrive, and serve their communities," said Kelly LoBianco, director of the county's Department of Economic Opportunity. "This next phase of the Small Business Mobility Fund is about fueling ideas and removing the cost burdens that can prevent talented entrepreneurs from opening their doors."
The grants are funded through $501,000 in Care First Community Investment funds and administered with partner Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation.
Applications are available in multiple languages until Feb. 13 at 11 p.m. ICON CDC will host virtual informational webinars and application clinics to support applicants.
For more information, eligibility criteria and applications, visit https://opportunity.lacounty.gov/sbmf/. To enroll in an Entrepreneurship Academy, visit https://emi.lacounty.gov.
Edited by SMDP Staff