Elevate Culver City
The Elevate Culver City Program provides technical assistance and advising for up to 30 small businesses to enhance existing operations and encourage long-term success.
The cohort designed program features virtual works hops and one-on-one advising, designed to support small business owners with tools and strategies to optimize growth, and strengthen core functions. The City is partnering with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)/ PCR Business Finance to administer the program.
The Elevate Program includes four virtual workshops held once a month. Workshop topics will include Goal Setting for your Business, Marketing and Branding, Business Planning for Growth, Managing Business Financials and Cash Flow. Participants will also be assigned independent work specific to thei r business to support program outcomes.
Additionally, each small business will rece ive four hours of one-on-one advising from a business advisor.
At the completion of the f our-month program, a grant of $1,000 will be awarded to participants by the City of Culver City. To be eligible for the grant, businesses are required complete at least three virtual wor kshops, assigned independent work and attend advising sessions.
To be eligible for the Elevate program, a small business must:
• Operated in Culver City for less than two years;
• Completed taxes for year 2023 and year 2024;
• Demonstrate revenue generati on, no minimum required
• Hold Current Culver City Business License; and
• Compliant with all City of Culver City, County and State regulations.
The application process will include an online application and will require submittal of a current Culver City Business License and a copy of filed taxes for year 2023 and year 2024.
Program Timeline:
Marketing Period: February 9, 2026, to March 20, 2026
Application Period: March 30, 2026, to April 30, 2026
4-month cohort program: June 2026 to October 2026
City celebration: October/ November 2026
Certain businesses are not eligible for t he program and include political, religious, businesses that sell products, goods, and serv ices related to adult themes, smoking, firearms, alcohol (as the primary use), or cannabis.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Workshop Topic Why is this Important
for Businesses
What Businesses Will
Learn
Independent Work
Goal Setting for
Your Business
Goal setting provides
clarity in mission for
organization and staff.
Setting clear goals is
correlated to better
results and tracking.
Businesses will learn
techniques and
strategies for effective
goal setting and
benchmarking.
Using the workshop tools,
participants will identity
business gaps, create a goal
framework and develop and
step-by-step action plan.
Branding and
Marketing Your
Business
Clear and consistent
branding provides for
targeted and effective
marketing to desired
customer base.
Business will learn to
clarify their business
brand and audience,
identify their uniqueness
in the market and build
marketing/ branding
messages via various
marketing channels.
Creation of a business
avatar relative to their
business branding/
marketing message and
headline.
Business Plan for
Growth (Live Plan
Access)
A business plan creates
a road map for decision
making and scaled
growth.
Businesses will create or
revise their business
plan to enhance current
operations to enhance
organizational
effectiveness and
achieve short- and long-
term
goals.
Businesses will assess their
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats
(SWOT analysis) relative to
business planning.
Managing
Business
Financials and
Cashflow
Management of
financials and ensuring
cash flow are critical for
growth, investment and
future lending
opportunities.
Businesses will refine
skills relative to cash
flow projections and
budgeting for seasonal
changes.
Business will create a
simplified cashflow
projection that will inform a
new/revised business plan.
The Jumpstart Permit Reimbursement Program
The Jumpstart Permit Reimbursement Pr ogram supports new Culver City small businesses by reimbursing up to $5,000 of City permit fees. The program will be launched in two phases with $25,000 in each phase. Phase 1 will launch in March 2026 and Phase 2 will launch in September 2026.
To be eligible for the Jumpstart Fund, small businesses must:
• Operate a commercial, “brick and mortar ” space within the boundaries of the City of Culver City
• Received an approved Culver City business license
• Compliant with all City and County regulations.
The application process for Phase 1 will open in March 2026 and will include an online application. Submission requirements include an invoice of paid permit fees issued from the City for approved plans/work relative to Planning and De velopment Services, Engineering or Fire.
Once applications are received, applications will be vetted with the i ssuing department.
All approved businesses will be required to submit a W-9 form to the City for reimbursement. The program will be conducted on a first-come, first served basis.
____________________________________________________________________
Definition of a small business: The general requirements to be classified as a small business according to the U.S. Small Business Administration are:
• Be a for-profit business of any legal structure
• Be independently owned and operated
• Not be nationally dominant in its field
• Be physically located and operate in the U.S. or its territories
In addition to the general requirements there are numerical requirements (total employees and/or total number of employees). The City’s programs will not use the numerical requirements used by the U.S. SBA but will use the general requirements.