About the Grant Program
On July 14, 2020 the Chula Vista City Council approved a $1.5 million dollar grant program to assist small businesses that experienced business interruption caused by the required closures due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The grant program will provide direct financial assistance to small businesses, the core of Chula Vista’s economy.
Click here to review the grant program staff report.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to be entered into the lottery, businesses must meet all of the below eligibility requirements:
- Ten (10) or fewer full-time equivalent, (two part-time employees each working twenty hours per week equal one full-time employee).
- Not an essential business or business providing essential activities pursuant to any one of the Order(s) of the Health Officer and Emergency Regulations issued by the County’s Public Health Officer in response to COVID-19 or Essential Workforce pursuant to Governor’s Executive Order N-33-20 (Reference essential businesses here).
- Must be a for-profit business located within the City of Chula Vista city limits.
- Must be a legally operating business located in a commercial or industrial space (home-based businesses are ineligible).
- Must have a valid City of Chula Vista business license at time the application is made.
- Must submit online a City of Chula Vista Social Distancing and Sanitation Protocol.
- Must be independently owned and operated, with the principal office located within the City of Chula Vista city limits (publicly traded companies, chains and franchised businesses are ineligible).
- Must complete a Chula Vista Business Survey.
- Complete the survey in English
- Complete the survey in Spanish
Program Summary
- Lottery-based with all applications collected during a one-week application period and grant awardees randomly selected.
- Maximum grant amount = $6,000 per business.
- Amount granted will be equivalent to two months’ rent not to exceed the maximum grant amount.
Application Period
Grant applications will be accepted online only for a one-week period beginning Monday, July 20, 2020 at 7 a.m. Eligible businesses may apply until Friday, July 24, 2020 at 7 p.m. The online application will be linked here beginning on Monday, July 20 at 7 a.m. Businesses may only apply once.
Selection Process
Once the application period closes, applicants will be screened for eligibility. Eligible applicants will then be selected from a lottery process to advance to Phase II of the selection process. Applicants invited to participate in Phase II of the selection process will be asked to submit additional documentation including W-9 forms and a copy of the business’ lease.
Grant funding will be awarded, and all applicants will be notified of the status of their application, by September 30, 2020.
