Sign up for free

California Funding Guide for Freelancers, Self Employed, 1099 Workers, Independent Contractors, & Small Businesses During COVID-19


Home >> Blog >> Funding Guide >> California Funding Guide for Freelancers, Self Employed, 1099 Workers, Independent Contractors, & Small Businesses During COVID-19


California

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: No set pool of funds

Application Deadline: No specific deadline

Funding Amount ($): Working capital loans of up to $2 million

Terms: Pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75%. Maximum term 30 years.

Application Link: https://www.sba.gov/disaster/apply-for-disaster-loan/index.html

Eligibility Criteria: Located in the state of California. The business must have been operating for at least one year prior to the disaster. Overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

Berkeley Business Continuity Grants

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: $1 million

Application Deadline: Monday, April 6 at 5pm

Funding Amount ($): up to $10,000

Terms: Use for payroll, rent, or operations

Application Link: https://cityofberkeleyoed.submittable.com/submit/163559/small-business-continuity-grants

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Based in the City of Berkeley
  • Has an active business license as of March 1, 2020
  • Must have 1 to 50 employees
  • Show a 25% decrease in revenues due to COVID-19

Small Business Relief Fund

Public/Private: Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan 

Total Funding Pool: Not Specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): $2,600 to $250,000

Terms: Repayment period 12 to 60 months

Application Link: https://opportunityfund.formstack.com/forms/loan_contact_form

Eligibility Criteria: None specified

COVID-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: Not specified

Application Deadline: Not specified

Funding Amount ($): up to $10,000

Terms: Use to help keep your employees and your business operating

Application Link: https://oewd.org/covid-19-small-business-resiliency-fund

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Have at least 1 employee and no more than 5 employees
  • Loss of revenue of 25% or more
  • Less than $2,500,000 in sales
  • Have a city of San Francisco/county of San Francisco license 

Grow Long Beach Loan

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: Not Specified

Application Deadline: None Specified

Funding Amount ($): $100,000 to $2 million

Terms: Fixed rate based on current prime rate; 3 to 25 year term; can be used for business expenses (construction, tenant improvements, equipment, working capital, etc.)

Application Link: For more info, call Seyed Jalali, Economic Development Officer, at Seyed.Jalali@longbeach.gov

Eligibility Criteria: Businesses that have been in Long Beach for 2 years or more

Kiva Long Beach Loan Program

Public/Private: Public + Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: 

Application Deadline: 

Funding Amount ($): $500 to $15,000

Terms: 0% interest rate; Can defer payments for 6 months; 6 months to 3 year term; can be used for business expenses (personnel, rent, supplies/materials, utilities, professional services,etc.)

Application Link: To get started, contact BusinessDevelopment@longbeach.gov or 562-570-6075.

Eligibility Criteria: Based in Long Beach

Emergency Microloan Program

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: Not specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): $2,500 to $10,000

Terms: Interest rate is 2.44%; can defer payments for up to 9 months; repayment period from 5 to 7 years

Application Link: Sign-up for an appointment with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at longbeachsbdc.org or by phone at (562) 938-5100

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • Businesses with 5 or less employees
  • Owners and/or employees have been hurt by COVID-19 public health emergency

Los Angeles Small Business Emergency Microloans

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: None specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): $5,000 to $20,000

Terms:

  • Option 1:  0% for a term of up to 18 months with repayment deferred for up to 6 months
  • Option 2:  3% for a term of up to 5 years with repayment deferred for up to 12 months (for profit businesses)
  • Option 3:  2% for a term of up to 5 years with repayment deferred for up to 12 months (for tax-exempt businesses)

Application Link: https://ewddlacity.com/index.php/microloan-program

Eligibility Criteria: For-profit and tax-exempt businesses in the City of LA with 100 or fewer employees that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

Sacramento Small Business Economic Emergency Relief Loan

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: $1 million

Application Deadline:

Funding Amount ($): Borrow up to $25,000

Terms:

Application Link: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/covid19-relief

Eligibility Criteria: Businesses affected by COVID-19 in Sacramento

Note: Fund is currently exhausted and not taking new applications. Businesses should check back if additional funding becomes available.

San Francisco Covid-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: None specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): up to $10,000

Terms: For employee salaries and rent

Application Link: https://oewd.org/file/17350

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • Have at least 1 employee and no more than 5 employees
  • Demonstrate a loss of revenue of 25% or more
  • Have less than $2,500,000 in gross receipts
  • Be engaged in activities that are regulated by the City and County of San Francisco and have a license/permit associated to that regulation

San Francisco Hardship Emergency Loan Program

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: None specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): up to $50,000

Terms: Interest rate 0%; can be used to pay payroll, rent, utilities, inventory, and operations

Application Link: https://oewd.org/businesses-impacted-covid-19#Loans

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • For profit business in city of San Francisco
  • Total annual revenue must be less than $2.5 Million
  • Show a 25% drop in revenues since January 1, 2020
  • Have 3 years remaining on an office lease

San Francisco Main Street Launch

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: None specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): up to $250,000

Terms: Interest rates between 3.5% – 7.75%

Application Link: Schedule a 20-30 minute eligibility phone call at 415-213-8677 or sanfrancisco@mainstreetlaunch.org.

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • Operate your business in San Francisco
  • Create or retain one or more full-time jobs

Stimulus Payments

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Other Benefit

Total Funding Pool: $2 Trillion

Application Deadline: No application required; however, you have to have submitted your 2019 or 2018 Tax Returns 

Funding Amount ($): $1,200 for adults; $500 for each child under 16 years old

Terms: See FAQ to get your Who, What, When, Where, Why questions answered

Application Link: No application required; however, you have to have submitted your 2019 or 2018 Tax Returns

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Individuals with a Social Security number with less than $99,000 in annual income 
  • Married couples with a Social Security number and no children who have less than $198,000 in annual income  
  • Married couples with a Social Security number and children who have less than $212,000 in annual income  
  • Must be a taxpayer and earn less than $112,500 to get the full payment of $1,200

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Other Benefit

Total Funding Pool: None specified

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): Up to $600 extra unemployment compensation. So you get an additional $600 from the federal pandemic unemployment compensation program in addition to your standard State unemployment compensation (State unemployment benefits are typically 40% to 45% of your prior monthly income).

Terms: 

Application Link: None specified

Eligibility Criteria: Anyone who is self-employed, 1099 workers, part-time workers, independent contractors and is unable to work

Community Commerce Fund – Black Business Relief Fund

Public/Private: Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: $100,000

Application Deadline: by April 15, 2020 11:59pm

Funding Amount ($): $5,000

Terms: None specified

Application Link: https://form.jotform.com/200926564127152

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Only businesses with 2 or more years in business
  • Must be 18 years or older
  • Only for U.S. residents

Pay it Forward Live – Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Fund

Public/Private: Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: $5 Million

Application Deadline: 1st Round Closed; Next Round Opens Mid-April

Funding Amount ($): $10,000

Terms: Pay rent and payroll

Application Link: https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/verizon-and-lisc-fire-25-million-small-business-covid-19-recovery-fund

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses
  • In historically underserved communities

The Red Backpack Fund

Public/Private: Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: $5 Million

Application Deadline: 1st round closed. Next rounds: June 1, July 6, & August 3

Funding Amount ($): $5,000 

Terms: None specified

Application Link: https://globalgiving.typeform.com/to/j1sf32

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Women-owned businesses
  • Annual revenues less than $5M
  • At least 1 and less than 50 employees

Paycheck Protection Program

Public/Private: Public

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Loan

Total Funding Pool: $2 Trillion

Application Deadline: None specified

Funding Amount ($): Maximum 250% of your average monthly “payroll costs” (based on a 12-month look back), not to exceed $10 million.

Terms: Maximum 4% interest rate; 10 year term; interest payments can be deferred up to 1 year; use for payroll costs as well as interest payments, rent, and utilities

Application Link: Applications are not yet available; All lending institutions are approved by the SBA to issue these loans. Tap here to find SBA 7a lenders that are closest to you https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find/

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • General forgiveness: Some of the total loan may be eligible for forgiveness, specifically for payroll costs as well as any mortgage interest, rents, utility expenses between February 15, 2020 and June 30, 2020. 
  • Reductions in forgiveness: The full loan amount may be forgiven by the federal government if you can prove that you didn’t layoff employees nor reduce salaries between February 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020. 
  • Certification: To be eligible for any loan forgiveness, you will need to expect to verify all the employees and wages/salaries paid between February 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020.

Facebook Small Business Grants Program

Public/Private: Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: $100 million

Application Deadline: Application is not available yet, signup for updates using the link below

Funding Amount ($): Varies

Terms: None specified

Application Link: https://www.facebook.com/business/boost/grant

Eligibility Criteria: Provided to businesses in more than 30 countries, including all 50 States in the United States.

COVID-19: Ad credits for Google Ads Small and Medium-sized Businesses

Public/Private: Private

Grant/Loan/Other Benefit: Grant

Total Funding Pool: $340 Million

Application Deadline: Small businesses worldwide that have been active Google advertisers since the beginning of 2019 will be informed in the coming months through notifications within their Google Ads account.

Funding Amount ($): Varies depending on a number of factors, including your advertising history on Google

Terms: Must be used by December 31, 2020; These ad credits will be applicable across the Google Ads platform including Search, Display, and YouTube as well as all campaign types.

Application Link: For more Who, What, Where, When, & Why questions about this grant program click here.

Eligibility Criteria: Credits will be provided to SMB advertisers that have been active advertisers since Jan 1, 2019 and comply with all Google Ads T&Cs


Related posts

Montana Funding Guide for Freelancers, Self Employed, 1099 Workers, Independent Contractors, & Small Businesses During COVID-19 Nebraska Funding Guide for Freelancers, Self Employed, 1099 Workers, Independent Contractors, & Small Businesses During COVID-19 Nevada Funding Guide for Freelancers, Self Employed, 1099 Workers, Independent Contractors, & Small Businesses During COVID-19 Pennsylvania Funding Guide for Freelancers, Self Employed, 1099 workers, Independent Contractors, & Small Businesses During COVID-19

Download the app