Small Business Grant Programs in California 2026

The Genesis For Good Catalyst Empowerment Grant is a competitive small business grant program from Genesis For Good Foundation and Genesis Bank. It’s designed to support very small businesses in low‑to‑moderate income communities in four Southern California counties with capital, mentoring, and tools to strengthen their infrastructure, create jobs, and deepen community impact.

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is an investment in the growth of small businesses. The program provides entrepreneurs with access to education, capital, and support services to help them create jobs and economic opportunity in their communities.

The Entreprenista Evolve Grant is a quarterly $5,000 grant supporting women founders with funding for their next phase of growth. Created by the co-founders of Entreprenista, Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer, the grant is offered in partnership with GIMME Beauty, a family-owned haircare brand.

The Skip Instant Grants are recurring $1,000 grants awarded to small business owners through live drawings held multiple times each week. Several winners are selected during each live event and receive cash or credit to support their business.

Founders First Capital Partners’ Supplier Innovative Finance Program (SIFP) offers certified small business suppliers the opportunity to receive a $5,000 unrestricted grant. The program supports the equitable implementation of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Eight certified suppliers are selected each quarter to receive a grant, and grant winners also receive a scholarship for additional coaching and business program accelerators.

Santander’s Cultivate Small Business is a free, 12-week virtual program designed for early-stage food entrepreneurs, with a focus on historically underserved founders in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. Often described as a “mini-MBA,” the program provides a food-focused curriculum, mentorship, and capital grants. All entrepreneurs who successfully complete the program receive a $2,500 grant, and top participants are eligible for up to $20,000 in unrestricted capital grants.

Feed the Soul Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit developed to aid marginalized professionals in the culinary industry. The National Emergency Relief Fund (NERF) provides businesses with a minimum of $500 up to $1,000 in financial support to alleviate business owners who have been gravely impacted by natural disasters, restaurant equipment repair needs, vandalism, malicious mischief, riot and civil commotions, and theft.

To assist entrepreneurs in launching a business and support businesses that are continuing to struggle with the negative economic impacts of the pandemic, the Riverside County Office of Economic Development and the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development (OCIE SBDC) are partnering to provide technical and financial assistance to county constituents and businesses.

The California Employment Training Panel (ETP) and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) announce the availability of up to $1,000,000 in California State General Fund dollars for California Small Businesses impacted by the Paid Family Leave Program.

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