In an effort to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19, the City of Irvine has awarded Small Business Support Program grants to 511 local businesses.
The one-time grants of up to $10,000 are being distributed to businesses located in the County’s 3rd Supervisorial District from a variety of industries including, but not limited to retail, dining and entertainment, automotive, professional and personal services, and technology. Due to some businesses requesting less than the $10,000, the City was able to assist six additional businesses than originally anticipated.
Funding for the program came from a $5 million grant from the County of Orange, through the federally approved CARES Act. The Irvine City Council voted to implement the program at a special meeting on May 29, just days after funding was approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The program launched on June 3 and received more than 1,400 applications the first day.
Grants were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The application period for the program has now closed.
“We received an overwhelming number of applications for the Small Business Support Program, and City staff quickly reviewed the applications in order to get the funding to our small business owners as soon as possible,” Mayor Christina Shea said. “This much-needed funding will help keep our small businesses solvent and a part of our community.”
To qualify, businesses had to meet several criteria including having 25 or fewer employees, an active business license for the last year, and within the County’s 3rd Supervisorial District.