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City Announces $1.6 Million in Grants to Support Small Business Reopening & Recovery
The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) is offering $1.6 million in grant funds for neighborhood small businesses as part of San Francisco’s Economic Recovery Plan. SF Shines for Reopening is a new grant program designed to help small businesses pay for fixtures such as barriers and furniture required to support social distancing and comply with new requirements. The grant will also support design services to help small businesses reconfigure interior and exterior layouts of storefronts to promote the health and safety of workers and customers.
SF Shines for Reopening will now be available to small businesses to make small renovations and furniture/fixture purchases between $2,000 and $5,000. The program is expected to serve 340 businesses, and will make funds available to storefront businesses citywide with a focus in opportunity neighborhoods including Central Market and Tenderloin, Bayview, Excelsior, Mission, Lower Fillmore, Lower Haight, and Chinatown. Additionally, the new program will allow reimbursements for purchases related to health and safety compliance made after the Shelter in Place order, but before the launch of this program.
SF Shines Reopening Grant Uses:
- Furniture and equipment such as acrylic shields and barriers for Point of Sale (POS), seating dividers, line stanchions, outdoor seating, planter boxes, and diverters and barricades required for outdoor seating.
- Signage for wayfinding and communicating protocol to staff and customers.
- Minor interior/layout improvements for compliance with Department of Public Health guidelines.
- Design services including space planning and scale drawings to reconfigure layout required to comply with new guidance and rules.
Eligibility criteria for small businesses include:
- Operating from a storefront location in San Francisco that is open to the public.
- Must be licensed to operate in San Francisco.
- Must have less than $2.5 million in gross receipts.
- Must have permission from their property owner.
- General liability and workers compensation insurance.
For more information on the SF Shines for Reopening Grant program and to apply, businesses can visit https://sf.gov/sf-shines.
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