What to do
1. Check if your business is eligible
Your business must:
- Have completed a pre-qualified training program on or after July 1, 2021
- Complete a Startup Business Plan or Existing Business Growth Plan
- Provide a plan for how you will use the grant and how it will improve operations/increase revenue
- Have less than $2.5M gross revenue from most recent tax return
- Agree to attend complete a 2-hour counseling session/assessment
Grant Tiers
No Storefront - $5,000 Grant
- Must not be operating from a storefront. Home-based and office-based businesses are ok.
Mobile Vendor - $10,000 Grant
- Must sell goods or provide services out of a vending unit such as a motor vehicle, cart, or trailer. Your vending unit should be compliant with any existing government codes.
- Must not operate solely from temporary booths or tables.
Existing Businesses with Storefront - $15,000 Grant
- Must have a lease that is signed before January 1, 2020
- Must be currently operating from a storefront
- Must not be home-based or office-based
Startup New Storefront - $25,000 Grant
- Must have a lease that is signed on or after January 1, 2020
- Must have a lease or Letter of Intent (LOI) for a new storefront space in San Francisco at the time of application
- Cannot be home-based or office-based
- Must have a signed annual lease for award to be disbursed
Existing Business New Storefront Expansion - $50,000 grant
- Must have a lease that is signed before January 1, 2020
- Must have a lease or Letter of Intent (LOI) for a new storefront space in San Francisco
- Cannot be home-based or office-based
- Must have a signed annual lease for award to be disbursed
2. Gather information about your business
We will ask you for:
- Your Business Account Number (BAN). If you don't know it, you can look it up. If you don’t have a BAN yet, you can register your business to receive one.
- A certificate of completion or letter of recommendation from a training partner.
- Your gross revenue from your most recent tax return, if applicable
- What you will use the grant for and how it will help your business.
- A completed startup business plan or existing business growth plan
- Lease or Letter of Intent (LOI) if you are opening a new storefront business
3. Gather your family income
What is your family size and household income? We will use this to determine if your household is low-income.
Family size: We will ask you how many people are in your family. A family is a single person or a group of people who live together.
Family income: We will also ask you about the income for all adults in your family. Use your 2021 tax return if you have filed or estimate your total income for the last 12 months.
4. Apply
Applications for this program closed on October 14, 2022 at 5:00 PM.
5. What to expect after you apply
We will email you to confirm that we received your application.
We will email you within 30 days to let you know the status of your application.
If selected, you will have 60 days to complete a 2-hour counseling session. You will review your business plan with a small business advisor.
We will contact you with instructions after you complete the counseling session.
Special cases
How applications will be chosen
How applications will be chosen
We will issue awards on a first-come-first-serve basis until all funding runs out. Some funding is set aside based on the training the business completed, the neighborhood their business is located in, or the neighborhood the small business owner/entrepreneur lives in.
Lower Fillmore businesses
Lower Fillmore businesses
Business owners/entrepreneurs that live in the Lower Fillmore or operate a business in the Lower Fillmore may be eligible for an additional award.
Get help
For help and info on lease negotiation and the Commercial Eviction Moratorium, go to: oewd.org/evictionhelp
Last updated May 30, 2023