LA Regional COVID Fund: Small and Microbusiness Grants

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

County Spending Category
2.1 Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Nonprofits
Federal Expenditure Category
Loans or Grants to Mitigate Financial Hardship
Project Launch Date
10/01/2022
Anticipated End Date
12/31/2023
Interpretation Languages
  • Armenian
  • Cambodian (Khmer)
  • Farsi
  • Korean
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Tagalog/Filipino
  • Thai
  • Mandarin
  • Cantonese
  • Vietnamese
  • Arabic
  • Hindi
  • Japanese
Written Languages
  • Armenian
  • Cambodian (Khmer)
  • Farsi
  • Korean
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Tagalog/Filipino
  • Thai
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Vietnamese
  • Arabic
  • Hindi
  • Japanese
Project Contacts Indicators & Metrics Target Populations Project Description Goals & Objectives

Project Contacts

Indicators & Metrics to Date

  • Number of Small Businesses Served
    8863
  • Number of office hour attendees
    2027
  • Number of entities receiving some form of technical assistance
    9553
  • Number of grants provided
    2239
  • Number of website clicks
    194655
  • Number of office hour sessions
    145
  • Number of website views
    658294
  • Launch Phase 1 targeting microbusinesses by the end of January 2023 and keep open for at least 30 days
    0
  • Launch Phase 2 targeting microbusinesses, small businesses and nonprofits by the end of February 2023 and keep open for at least 30 days.
    0
  • Number of outbound calls through SBDC call center
    76554
  • Number of inbound calls received at SBDC call center
    13153
  • Number of attendees attending webinars and trainings
    5179
  • DEO will co design and approve all EOG collaterals
    0
  • Number of grants awarded and broken down by sectors and demographics.
    0
  • Number of languages translated
    10
  • Launch of program website at grants.lacounty.gov.
    0
  • Number of 1-1 consultations held with applicants
    4374
  • Number of canvassing events held by street teams
    250
  • Number of individuals receiving e-newsletter
    68182
  • Number of Inbound and Outbound Calls through SBDC Call Center.
    89707
  • Ensure the Equity Explorer tool data is reflected in all outreach efforts by weekly data dump to DEO
    0
  • Subcontractor will provide weekly and monthly reports
    0
  • Number of survey responses received from grantees
    0
  • Grantee businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate rental debt
    0
  • businesses and nonprofits received capital to restabilize from loss of regain stability from loss of revenue
    0
  • Grantee businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate debt incurred from renovations or purchases of supplies to comply with health and safety standards
    0
  • Grantee businesses and nonprofits increase ability to pay increased costs for supplies
    0
  • Business and nonprofit grantees increase ability to pay wages and stabilize employee hiring
    0
  • Nonprofits improve service delivery
    0
  • Number of Grants Provided
    0

Target Populations

  • Small Businesses

Project Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for small businesses, particularly small, black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) owned businesses and non-profits that serve our most vulnerable populations. Los Angeles County is also home to the largest concentration of minority‐owned businesses in the United States. Of the 244,000 small businesses in the County, more than 55% are BIPOC-owned. Over 93% of all businesses in the County have 20 or fewer employees and COVID‐19 has affected these small businesses disproportionately. In addition, businesses, community-based organizations (CBOs), and nonprofits impacted during the pandemic, in the highest, high, and moderate vulnerability index areas, faced additional barriers in the recovery process. The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has created the Economic Opportunity Grant (EOG) program, which integrates the following grant programs through a single streamlined online application process: (i) Keep LA Dining, (ii) LA Regional COVID Fund: Small and Microentrepreneur Grants, (iii) LA Regional COVID Fund: Nonprofit Grants (iv) Youth Workforce Development Partnerships, and (v) State of California Microbusiness Covid-19 Grant of $12.6 million targeting microbusinesses. The priority of the EOG will be to address the barriers faced by small and microbusinesses, particularly those in the highest and high tiers of need. However, businesses located in moderate COVID-19 impact areas are also serving under-resourced communities and may have barriers that more closely relate to businesses located in the highest and high tier areas. As a result, the EOG will also serve those businesses on a third priority tier. In summary, the online EOG application process will provide ease of access to much needed capital to support small businesses during the post-pandemic recovery process. And to ensure the program is reaching those in most need, grants will be distributed in rounds to allow for directed and focused outreach strategies and ongoing refinement of those strategies.

Goals & Objectives

Goal Description 2300+ Los Angeles County-based micro/small businesses and nonprofits that have experienced the greatest impact of COVID-19 pandemic will have access to capital that will stabilize their revenue streams, address increases in operational costs and reduce debt.

Objective Description November 2022 will launch initial outreach and marketing planning with technical assistance provider.

Activity Description Create a robust multilingual and culturally competent education and outreach campaign to increase awareness of the grant opportunities.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance DEO will co design and approve all EOG collaterals
1 Service Delivery Number of languages translated 0.00 14.00

Objective Description In January 2023, begin outreach and Technical Assistance, including outbound/inbound calls, one on one sessions, and EOG informational webinars.

Activity Description Deploy robust multilingual and culturally competent education and outreach campaign to increase awareness of the grant opportunities along with translated collateral materials into multiple languages reflective of the highest, high, and moderate need areas prioritized for grants.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance DEO will co design and approve all EOG collaterals
1 Service Delivery Number of canvassing events held by street teams 0.00 100.00
1 Service Delivery Number of individuals receiving e-newsletter 0.00 70000.00
1 Service Delivery Number of outbound calls through SBDC call center 0.00 40000.00
1 Service Delivery Number of attendees attending webinars and trainings 0.00 4000.00
1 Service Delivery Number of website views 0.00 350000.00
1 Service Delivery Number of website clicks 0.00 100000.00
1 Service Delivery Number of inbound calls received at SBDC call center 0.00 7000.00
1 Service Delivery Ensure the Equity Explorer tool data is reflected in all outreach efforts by weekly data dump to DEO
1 Service Delivery Subcontractor will provide weekly and monthly reports

Activity Description Provide continued access to technical assistance throughout the grant application periods
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Number of 1-1 consultations held with applicants 0.00 700.00
1 Service Delivery Number of entities receiving some form of technical assistance 0.00 24000.00

Objective Description By late January 2023, launch a centralized application portal at grants.lacounty.gov for the one State and four ARPA funding streams included in EOG.

Activity Description Create a viable program timeline that provides applicants with sufficient time to prepare application documents
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Launch Phase 1 targeting microbusinesses by the end of January 2023 and keep open for at least 30 days 1.00 1.00
1 Service Delivery Launch Phase 2 targeting microbusinesses, small businesses and nonprofits by the end of February 2023 and keep open for at least 30 days. 1.00 1.00

Objective Description By December 2023 complete funding distribution for businesses and nonprofits in the highest, high, and moderate COVID-19 impact areas.

Activity Description Distribute awards to grant applicants within revenue size and in the geographic highest, high and moderate areas, as defined by the Equity Explorer Tool
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of grants awarded and broken down by sectors and demographics. 2200.00
1 Program Outcome Number of grants provided 0.00 2200.00
1 Program Outcome Number of grants awarded and broken down by sectors and demographics. 2350.00
1 Performance Number of Grants Provided 2350.00

Activity Description Survey grant recipients to learn how the funds are positively impacting their businesses/operations. The outcomes listed below will be assessed via survey.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of survey responses received from grantees 0.00 1000.00

Outcome Description 20-30% of grantee businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate rental debt accumulated for businesses or nonprofits unable to pay during March 2020 and prior to December of 2021
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Grantee businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate rental debt 0.00 660.00

Outcome Description 20-30% of businesses and nonprofits received capital to restabilize from loss of regain stability from loss of revenue
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome businesses and nonprofits received capital to restabilize from loss of regain stability from loss of revenue 0.00 660.00

Outcome Description 20% of businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate debt incurred from renovations or purchases of supplies to comply with health and safety standards and procedures based on DPH recommendations
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Grantee businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate debt incurred from renovations or purchases of supplies to comply with health and safety standards 0.00 440.00

Outcome Description 20% of businesses and nonprofits increase ability to pay increased costs for supplies
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Grantee businesses and nonprofits increase ability to pay increased costs for supplies 0.00 440.00

Outcome Description 20% of businesses and nonprofits increase ability to pay wages and stabilize employee hiring
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Business and nonprofit grantees increase ability to pay wages and stabilize employee hiring 0.00 440.00

Outcome Description 80-100% of grants are distributed to marginalized microbusinesses, microentrepreneurs, small business, very small and small nonprofits with typical barriers to accessing formalized grant programs, which includes: BIPOC, veteran, disabled, LGBTQ undocumented led or owned; located in HUD qualified census tracts; located in highest, high, and moderate COVID-19 impact; limited English proficiency
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of grants awarded and broken down by sectors and demographics. 2350.00

Outcome Description 20% of nonprofits that increased in demand for services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic able to improve service delivery
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Nonprofits improve service delivery 0.00 440.00