Small Business Grant Program

Eligible businesses submit an intake form during the 5-day open application period.  After the intake period closes, a lottery will be conducted and selected businesses will be requested to complete an application. 

The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) will work with the selected businesses on behalf of the City of Culver City to complete an application, execute an agreement, and provide the grant funds directly to the business owners. 

Small Businesses located in City of Culver City and meet the criteria below:

• Small Businesses with less than 500 employees that have been impacted by COVID-19
• Restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, cafés, gastropubs, salons, barbers and other grooming businesses, gyms, day spas, and fitness studios
• Retail and commercial stores such as local markets, consumer goods, electronics, appliances, health and sporting goods, furniture, clothing and shoes, books, and music stores
• Active business license in the City or County, as applicable
• No unresolved City, municipal, or health code violations
• Business in continuous operation in our City for at least two years

Ineligible Businesses

The following business are not eligible to participate in the City’s Small Business Grant Program:

• Any national chain that is not locally franchised
• Massage parlors, bail bond services, home-based businesses, businesses with no bona fide ground-floor commercial storefront.
• Corporate-owned fast-food restaurants (franchisees are eligible, as stated in prior Eligible Business Section)
• Check cashing, bars, liquor stores, smoke/cannabis shops, firearms retailers, pawnshops
• Non-profit organizations
• Real estate salespersons
• Financial businesses primarily engaged in the business of lending, such as banks, finance companies, and factors (pawn shops, although engaged in lending, may qualify in some circumstances)
• Passive businesses owned by developers and landlords that do not actively use or occupy the assets acquired or improved with the loan proceeds (except Eligible Passive Companies under § 120.111)
• Life insurance companies
• Businesses located in a foreign country (businesses in the U.S. owned by aliens may qualify)
• Pyramid sale distribution plans
• Businesses deriving more than one-third of gross annual revenue from legal gambling activities
• Businesses engaged in any illegal activity
• Private clubs and businesses which limit the number of memberships for reasons other than capacity
• Government-owned entities (except for businesses owned or controlled by a Native American tribe)
• Businesses principally engaged in teaching, instructing, counseling or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs, whether in a religious or secular setting
• Loan packagers earning more than one-third of their gross annual revenue from packaging SBA loans
• Businesses with an Associate who is incarcerated, on probation, on parole, or has been indicted for a felony or a crime of moral turpitude
• Businesses in which the participating city or LACDA, or any of its Associates owns an equity interest
• Multi-national or publicly traded businesses are not eligible for this program.
• The business owner that is the subject of unresolved findings of noncompliance related to previous CDBG assistance.
• Adult businesses which:
  • Present live performances of a prurient sexual nature; or
  • Derive directly or indirectly more than de minimis gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature.