LA business owners still reeling from this spring’s Lineage Fire or the East Los Angeles oil spill just got a few more days to ask Los Angeles County for help. The County’s Department of Economic Opportunity has pushed back the application deadline for its Small Business Recovery Grant program from October 2 to October 9, giving more owners a shot at direct financial relief.
The grants are aimed squarely at small operators who took a hit from one of two 2026 incidents: the June 17 Lineage Fire or the May 22 oil spill in East LA. Eligible brick-and-mortar businesses can receive up to $3,000, while home-based businesses with a customer-facing presence, sidewalk vendors, and mobile businesses can receive up to $1,000. To qualify, a business needs to have been operating at an eligible location for at least 30 days before the relevant incident, employ 100 people or fewer, post no more than $6 million in annual gross receipts, and be located within one of the county’s designated impact zones.
County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis framed the extension as a recognition that recovery paperwork often takes a back seat to simply keeping the doors open. “These businesses should not have to face those challenges alone,” she said in announcing the extra week.
For business owners in East LA, Boyle Heights, and surrounding communities who’ve been putting off the application, the extension is a real second chance, not just a bureaucratic formality. The county is also offering in-person help: bilingual (English/Spanish) application assistance is available October 6 and 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the East Los Angeles Entrepreneurship Center, 4716 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. Owners with questions can call 844-432-4900 or email osb@opportunity.lacounty.gov.
If your business anywhere in Los Angeles County took a hit from either incident, even indirectly, through lost foot traffic, a closed street, or a disrupted supply chain, it’s worth checking your eligibility before the window closes on October 9. Grant programs like this one don’t typically reopen once their funding is allocated, so a few minutes filling out an application now could mean real dollars back in your pocket later.
Source: MyNewsLA
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