Deadline: Ongoing
The City of Santa Monica is offering grants to small businesses to improve storefronts along Pico Boulevard through the Commercial Façade Improvement (CFI) Matching Grant Program.
CFI Matching Grant Program is made possible through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The CDBG funds are to enhance low-income and moderate-income (LMI) areas that benefit LMI clientele and households. Pico Boulevard was selected for the pilot program due to the highest concentration of LMI clienteles and households within a business district.
The CFI Matching Grant Program will enhance the physical appearance and safety of small businesses along Pico Boulevard. This includes exterior upgrades such as signage, lighting, ADA entryways, and security enhancements. The opportunity will focus on small business owners who have historically experienced higher barrier to assessing capital; inclusive of minority-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. There will be additional consideration for selecting Santa Monica vendors for material and labor, which in turn will further support and reinvest in more businesses in the local community.
The Program focuses on enhancements to the physical appearance and safety of small businesses in lowincome and moderate-income (LMI) areas that benefit LMI clientele and households. This round of grants will be focused on supporting LMI areas and clienteles along Pico Boulevard. This grant opportunity will be for small business owners who have historically experienced higher barrier to assessing capital; inclusive of minority-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Additional selection consideration will be weighed for small businesses who choose local Santa Monica vendors for material and labor.
Funding Information
- Amount: up to $10,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be an existing Santa Monica brick-and-mortar shop located on Pico Boulevard with a valid business license with the City of Santa Monica.
- The annual revenue for the small business will be under $2,000,000.
- Priority will be given to minority-owned, female-owned, LGBTQ+-owned businesses.
- Consideration will be given to applicants who choose Santa Monica merchants and trades to support the local economy.
- Qualifying grantees will be chosen through an online, randomized application system.
- Applicants will need to serve the most vulnerable in the communities, specifically LMI serving areas established by HUD per the 2020 LMI Census tract.
For more information, visit City of Santa Monica.
