Emergency Small Businesses Coronavirus Grants For OC 1st District

SANTA ANA, CA — Companies and organizations with up to 10 employees will be able to apply for coronavirus economic stimulus grant funding in the First District, according to Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do.

The district includes Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Westminster, unincorporated Midway City and the northernmost portion of Fountain Valley.

The supervisor plans to apply federal economic stimulus money to help small businesses in his district recover from COVID-19-related shutdown orders.

The board of supervisors last week adopted a plan to dole out $75 million in CARES Act funding evenly among the five districts. Vice Chairman Do has decided to establish a lottery in which small businesses and nonprofits can apply for $10,000 each from that pot, using some remaining funds for other various "economic development expenses" related to COVID-19.

Use of the funding will be restricted to rent, payroll, utilities, insurance, accounts payable, personal protective equipment, inventory, office supplies, professional services and COVID-19 measures.

"We feel like with $10,000 grants they can at least get the inventory started and pay for some of the labor they would need to have in place to start a business again," Do says. He estimated that about 1,300 organizations would receive grants in the First District.

The money will go to organizations with up to 10 employees, Do said.

"The really small businesses, mostly family owned, they don't have the size or sophistication to tap into the Paycheck Protection Program loans or other programs from the state," Do said. "This is an emergency infusion of funds to help them restart and reopen."

For more information, visit: d1.ocgov.com