SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted information regarding $5,000 in grants for small businesses.
The city of San Francisco has two grants available for small business owners. One is for individual businesses, the SF Shines for Reopening. The other is Shared Spaces equity grant for those with a Shared Space permit.
“You can apply for both, but individual businesses will not receive more than $5,000 in all from both SF Shines for Reopening and Shared Spaces equity. Sponsors of group-operated Shared Spaces may receive more,” states the city government’s website.
For SF Shines, all businesses that apply will receive $2,000 for their business and those in certain neighborhoods can receive $5,000. Those eligible for the grant include businesses who receive less than $2.5 million in annual gross receipts; businesses owned and operated in San Francisco; or those who have “general liability insurance with at least $1 million per occurrence,” according to SF Shines.
SF Shines indicated that businesses could receive reimbursement for all past, in progress, or future work. The grant compensates for outdoor barriers and outdoor furniture; fixtures that are in place for the health and safety of others (like acrylic barriers at the checkout); and interior furniture (including counters, fixtures, and equipment), SF Shines noted.
Robin Abad Ocubillo, the Director of Shared Spaces, indicated the grant is for businesses that are “based on availability of funds and given to locally-owned, minority-owned businesses that advance the City’s equity goals, including women-owned businesses, immigrant-owned businesses, legacy businesses, and businesses in established cultural districts or that serve a largely minority clientele.”
Shared Spaces indicated they can reimburse for private property, such as “moveable furnishings like tables, chairs, and planters.” Roadway closures, such as cones, signs for traffic control, and even assistance with developing operations, management, and safety plans can also be reimbursed, Shared Spaces said.
“There is no deadline to apply. Applications will be accepted on an open, rolling basis,” Ocubillo said.
According to Ocubillo, Shared Spaces is awarded every two weeks, “Grant applicants will be notified every two weeks about the status of awards. Grant awards might not be awarded in the same cycle as the application was submitted.”
The San Francisco News asked can a merchant appeal to the government of San Francisco in case the financial aid is insufficient or the business owner’s circumstances have changed?
Ocubillo said, “At this time, awards are capped at $5,000 per merchant to cover or offset costs involved in setting up and operating the Shared Space. Mayor Breed also recently announced additional financial support for small businesses, including an additional $3.2 million in zero interest loans for Latino-owned businesses and businesses in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”
Go to the SF Shines website for more information regarding applying for the grant, https://sf.gov/sf-shines-reopening-form.
Those who need to apply for the Shared Spaces grant can apply at https://sf.gov/apply-help-your-shared-space-improvements/form.
