Small Business Post-Pandemic Recovery Grant Program
Program Guidelines
City of South San Francisco
This guide is provided as a reference for small businesses applying for the City of South San Francisco’s Small Business Post-Pandemic Recovery Grant Program.
This Program is provided by American Rescue Plan economic recovery funds and is made available by San Mateo County.
For questions, call (650) 829-4652 or email [email protected].
Si necesita ayuda en español, hay ayuda por teléfono a (650) 829-4652, por corréo electrónico a [email protected], o por visita a 366 Grand Avenue al Centro de Avance Ecónomico.
Overview
The City of South San Francisco has partnered with San Mateo County on a pilot Small Business Post-Pandemic Recovery Grant Program (“Program”). The grant program consists of $5,000 grants for eligible small businesses in South San Francisco. The total in the Program is $100,000, and 20 eligible businesses will be selected through an application process. A lottery may be required if needed.
The Program is designed to mitigate continued financial hardship and to help prepare COVIDimpacted small businesses, including retail and restaurants, to meet post-pandemic customer expectations through technical assistance trainings and consultations provided by the City’s Economic Advancement Center and online.
Grantees can use the $5,000 to pay for payroll and benefits, costs to retain employees, and mortgage, rent, utility, and other operating costs.
Eligibility and Grant Components
1. Applicant must be a small business, defined as currently employing five (5) full-time equivalent (FTE) employees or less, or employing three (3) employees who earn less than 65% of Area Median Income (AMI) in San Mateo County. To be considered 65% of AMI in San Mateo County, or “low income” specific to this Program, an employee must demonstrate that they earn less than $79,652 for a household of one.
2. Business must be independently owned and operated and not dominant in its field on a national basis.
3. Business must currently be in operation and have operated at least since March 16, 2020.
4. Business must have a current business license with the City of South San Francisco.
5. Business must have suffered financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. Grantees will be required to attend a minimum of two hours of small business support training.
7. Smoke shops, alcohol shops, and home-based businesses are not eligible for this Program.
8. A business is only eligible to submit one (1) application.
9. Businesses that already received a forgivable loan from the City Small Business Relief Fund (2020-2022), or San Mateo County Strong may still apply, but will not be prioritized. Childcare facilities are exempt from this requirement.
10. Applicants will be required to provide documentation through the application portal to substantiate the required eligibility criteria.
11. A lottery may be conducted based on the level of demand.
How to Apply
An online application portal will open on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 and close on Friday, January 26, 2024. The online portal will be posted at www.ssf.net/eac. Interested applicants can also walk into the Economic Advancement Center, located at 366 Grand Avenue, or call (650) 829- 4652 for assistance.