Goleta offering small business grants for COVID-19 relief and recovery

GOLETA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Better Together (SBBT) Fund Small Business Grant Program recently launched, in partnership with the City of Goleta, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Deckers Brands, providing grants for Goleta’s small businesses.

These grants a part of the City’s economic relief and recovery efforts. Grant applications are due by this Friday, August 7 at 5 p.m.

The City of Goleta and Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara Better Together Fund each contributed $50,000 in order to create the Goleta-specific small business grant program.

The partnership will support grants from the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund of up to $10,000 per grant to qualifying local Goleta small businesses as they reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. Grant awards are available to eligible businesses until funds have been depleted.

The Santa Barbara Better Together Fund was set up at the Santa Barbara Foundation as a committee advised fund in March of 2020 with an initial $500,000 donation from Deckers Brands.

The goal is to provide financial assistance grants to small local businesses with an emphasis on supporting basic needs. This will enable small businesses to continue operations in the short term while navigating the effects of COVID-19.

With support from the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, outreach will be comprehensive with significant efforts to reach minority-owned businesses. In addition, priority will be given, but not limited to, childcare, to-go food service, service industry, and outdoor dining businesses.

You can read the SBBT Small Business Grant Program guidelines for more information.

You can apply for the grant online here.

More information about the grant can be found on the Santa Barbara Foundation website.