Twenty-five Long Beach small businesses just leveled up — literally. The city’s Economic Development & Opportunity Department wrapped up the third cohort of its “Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program” with a Sept. 29 ceremony, capping off a 10-week push that combined hands-on coaching with real cash.
The numbers tell the story of how competitive it was to get in. Out of 219 applications, 95 businesses qualified for review, and a selection panel — made up of city staff, members of the Economic Development Commission, local business groups, and fellow small business owners — picked the final group based on need, readiness, potential impact, and a mix of industries and neighborhoods across the city. The businesses that made the cut span restaurants, retail shops, health and wellness studios, education providers, and nonprofits.
Each of the 20 businesses that completed the full program walked away with a $10,000 grant, funded through one-time money in Long Beach’s adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Five additional alternates who still completed the program received $1,000 each, bringing the total investment to $205,000. Beyond the checks, graduates got ten weeks of workshops, one-on-one business counseling, and help building out a real business plan — plus a free year of membership with the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and a marketing package courtesy of Visit Long Beach.
Mayor Rex Richardson called the program “an investment in the entrepreneurs who are helping shape Long Beach’s future,” while EDO Director Bo Martinez said the department is “proud to invest in these 25 businesses.” It’s a notable bump from last year’s second cohort, which distributed $220,000 across 24 businesses — this round reached one more business while keeping the per-grant amount steady at $10,000.
For LA-area business owners outside Long Beach, the program is a useful reminder that city economic development offices are increasingly running structured, competitive grant-and-coaching pipelines rather than one-off handouts — and that showing up with a clear plan and a willingness to put in the workshop hours can be worth real money. Long Beach’s EDO says its BizCare team has supported more than 2,100 businesses over the past year alone, so programs like this one aren’t going away anytime soon.
Source: Precinct Reporter News
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