Southern California Job Creators Grant
This grant is provided by Founder First CDC
Grant Amount
$10KOpen date
September 30, 2024Application Deadline
November 11, 2024
About This Grant
Pre-register for the Southern California Job Creators Grant, which offers a total of $50,000 to be awarded to 10 diverse-led business owners in Southern California.
The purpose of this grant is to support revenue-generating businesses with 2-20 employees led by diverse founders. Founders First CDC encourages premium wage job growth and awards businesses that have been able to retain and grow despite the pandemic. The Job Creators Quest grant is an initiative to launch Founders First Community Development Corporation’s (FFCDC) expansion into new regions by supporting small businesses from diverse backgrounds to scale and impact the ecosystem. The grants are paired with access to one of our stellar business accelerator programs. We encourage businesses that are looking to grow and scale their businesses in size, scope, and knowledge to apply.
As part of our mission to provide continued education, all grant recipients will receive a scholarship to a Founders First accelerator program. Learn more >>
Grant Pre-Registration Period is happening now.
The pre-registration window is your opportunity to secure your spot early for a chance to receive grant funding for your business. Don’t worry. If you pre-register, we will make sure to remind you by email when the grant application launches on October 15, 2024.
Grant Application Opens on October 15, 2024
Once the grant application opens, you’ll receive reminder emails containing direct links to the page where you left off. If you require assistance with the application, such as needing the application link or having questions about the assets, please email support[at]foundersfirstcdc.org.
Documents Required
- Complete full application which includes information about your business, headshot photo, organization chart, Profit and Loss (P & L) statement and a short pitch video
- All completed applications will be reviewed and grant semi-finalists will be selected for our final judging round
- All 10 grant finalists are announced during a live press event after confirming participation in a required accelerator program
- 1-3 minute video answering:
-Description of your company.
-What your company does/who you serve.
- Why did you start your business?
- Explain to the judges why you should be awarded a grant.
Eligibility Requirements
- Founder identify as one of the following: Latino, Black, Asian, Women, LGBTA+, Military Veterans, located in a Low to Moderate Income area or you may not fall into groups but have an interest in applying for this grant
- Must be a for-profit company with annual revenues between $100K and $5 million
- Current business model Business-to-Business (B2B) or Business-to-Government (B2G) only
- Will have the ability to add 1-2+ net new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months
- Current staff of 2+ full time employees
- Must be located in the Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, and San Diego regions
- Businesses owned by founders who do not fit the groups listed on the eligibility criteria, but whose backgrounds are underrepresented in their industries are encouraged to apply and provide information about how the backgrounds and/or experiences of their owners would enhance the diversity of FFCDC’s program participants.