CAMEO is California’s statewide micro-business network made up of over 300 organizations, agencies, and individuals dedicated to furthering Micro-Business development in California with small and micro-business financing such as loans and credit, technical assistance and business management training.
The State of California and CalOSBA are committed to ensuring small businesses have access to the support, resources and capital they need – and this support is fundamental to California’s COVID-19 response.
They launched the new website CAReliefGrant.com so that you can review information on eligibility, prepare your business documents and get ready to apply!
#California $500M #SmallBusiness grant program website is live! Learn eligibility requirements, prepare business documents, and get ready to apply beginning Wed 12/30 and through Wed 1/13! #CAReliefGranthttps://t.co/ZKY9SXdDip pic.twitter.com/BpteaiW3jl
Office of the Small Business Advocate (@CaliforniaOSBA) December 23, 2020
General Information
Round 1 closed on January 13, 2021. Selection and notification to applicants will be sent on a rolling basis beginning January 15 through January 22, 2021. Any applicants not awarded in Round 1, but still eligible, will be automatically considered for Round 2. You do not need to reapply.
Applicants from Round 1 will be either selected for the grant, waitlisted for Round 2, or not selected due to program ineligibility. The notification about the selection decision will be sent to all who applied (check your spam folder). Be patient, dispersal of funds will start on January 22 and continue over a 45-day period.
The Round 2 start date is February 2, 2021 at 8:00am PST and it will run through February 8 at 6:00pm.
Applicants Selected for the Grant
Applicants that are approved for the grant will receive an email with instructions to link their bank information. Linking your bank information is required to prevent fraud and to set up a direct deposit for funds.
Applicants that are approved for the grant will receive an email requesting any missing documentation. Once the applicant has been fully validated, they will receive a grantee agreement via Docusign.
Applicants Waitlisted for Round 2
Eligible applicants that are not selected in Round 1 will be automatically moved to Round 2. Waitlisted means they are eligible but were not selected for Round 1.
If a waitlisted applicant did not finish their application in Round 1, they will be required to do so in Round 2 in order to be considered for grant approval.
Applicants Not Selected for the Grant
Applicants that do not meet the program’s minimum eligibility requirements will not be selected for the grant. They will not be reconsidered for Round 2.
Eligibility is scored based on COVID-19 impact factors incorporated into the program’s priority criteria. The program will prioritize distribution based on priority key factors.
Submitting your Application
If you’ve already started an application, do not start another one, this will slow down the process. If you have questions regarding your application, please call Lendistry directly at 888-612-4370. Please DO NOT SEND CAMEO any documents or your application. YOU NEED TO APPLY ONLINE. CAMEO is unable to submit applications on your behalf. We are not working directly with business owners. If you need assistance with your application, please call 1-833-ASK-SBDC or see the list of organizations below to find and connect to a partner that can help with the application. Also listed are more available webinars that can help you apply. Note that we have received thousands of emails and are not equipped to respond to each person individually.
To notify Lendistry of any application mistakes, please email them at careliefgrant@lendistry.com.
Uploading Documents
If you’ve applied and had technical difficulties, check your email, including your spam folder as Lendistry will be contacting you directly. Also, answer your phone as they might be calling you – and you might not recognize their phone number, especially if you called the Lendistry Call Center and are expecting a call.
This is not a first-come-first-served application. The delay will not have any impact on grant selection. The document uploads and duplicate applications are causing the system to slow down and there are many duplicates that need to be sorted.
Informational Webinars
SBDCs
The SBDCs are holding State of California COVID-19 Small Business Grant Webinars that will discuss:
- The Grant Program
- Eligibility Requirements
- What the funding can be used for
- The Application
- Required Documents
- Who to Contact for Assistance
On-demand Webinars
Organizations that Can Help
CAMEO is working with the following organizations that can help you with your application.
Statewide Resources
- IDRS Acorn Project – assistance for statewide Native American Businesses
Contact person: Lynn Wilson – 918-978-7622 - California SBDC Network
- California Women’s Business Centers
Regional Resources
Información en Español
Si busca información acerca del Programa de subvenciones de ayuda COVID-19 para pequeñas empresas de California, por favor visite CAreliefgrant.com o envíe su solicitud directamente aquí (actualmente la Ronda 1 de solicitudes ha terminado. La Ronda 2 comienza el 2 de febrero de 2021).
Información General
La Ronda 1 cerró el 13 de enero de 2021. La selección y notificación a los solicitantes será escalonada y tendrá lugar desde el 15 de enero hasta el 22 de enero. Todos los solicitantes que no reciban una subvención en la Ronda 1, pero aún sean elegibles, serán automáticamente considerados para la Ronda 2. No se necesita volver a enviar una solicitud.
Los solicitantes de la Ronda 1 ya sea serán seleccionados para recibir una subvención, serán puestos en la lista de espera para la Ronda 2, o no serán seleccionados debido a no ser elegibles para el programa. La notificación sobre la decisión será enviada a todos los que hayan enviado una solicitud (favor de revisar la carpeta de spam en su correo electrónico). La distribución de fondos comenzará el 22 de enero y continuará durante un periodo de 45 días.
La Ronda 2 comenzará el 2 de febrero de 2021 a las 8:00am PST y terminará el 8 de febrero a las 6:00pm.
Los solicitantes que sean aprobados para recibir una subvención recibirán un correo electrónico con instrucciones para los siguientes pasos (incluyendo conectar sus datos bancarios).
Los solicitantes que sean elegibles pero no sean seleccionados en la Ronda 1 serán trasladados automáticamente a la Ronda 2.
Los solicitantes que no cumplan con los requisitos mínimos de elegibilidad para el programa no serán seleccionados ni reconsiderados en la Ronda 2.
Para Enviar su Solicitud
Si ya comenzó una solicitud, no comience una nueva. Esto solo hará que el proceso sea más lento. Si tiene preguntas acerca de su solicitud, por favor llame a Lendistry directamente al888-612-4370.Por favor NO ENVÍE ningún documento o solicitud a CAMEO. LA SOLICITUD DEBE HACERSE EN LÍNEA. CAMEO no puede enviar solicitudes en su nombre. Nosotros no trabajamos directamente con empresarios.
Si necesita asistencia con su solicitud, por favor llame a 1-833-ASK-SBDC o visite alguna de las organizaciones en la lista de arriba para encontrar y conectar con un socio que lo pueda ayudar con la solicitud. Aquí también encontrará seminarios web disponibles que lo pueden ayudar con su solicitud. Tenga en cuenta que hemos recibido miles de emails y no estamos equipados para responder a cada uno.
Para notificar a Lendistry de cualquier error en su solicitud, por favor envíe un correo a careliefgrant@lendistry.com.
Subir documentos
Si usted enfrentó dificultades técnicas al enviar su solicitud, por favor revise su correo electrónico, incluyendo la carpeta de spam ya que Lendistry lo contactará directamente. Asimismo, conteste su teléfono ya que puede que le llamen, especialmente si usted llamó al Lendistry Call Center y está esperando una llamada. Tal vez no reconozca el número de teléfono así que por favor esté atento.
Las solicitudes no serán aprobadas en orden de llegada. El retraso no tendrá ningún impacto sobre la selección de subvenciones. Las cargas de documentos y las solicitudes duplicadas están causando lentitud en el sistema. Hay muchos duplicados que necesitan ser separados.