With the first round of $5,000 Business Assistance Grants now finishing up, the Business Assistance Grant program is gearing up for Round 2, which will consist of an additional 1,000 businesses across Ventura County receiving grants.

If you were not selected in Round 1 for a grant, you should have received an E-mail asking you to complete an attestation that confirms you will use the $5,000 grant for appropriate COVID-19 related purposes. You may also have received an E-mail asking you to correct an issue(s) with your application. For example, some grant applicants included an incorrect business license, an unsigned W-9, or a missing document. To be eligible for Round 2 of the grant lottery, you must complete your attestation and correct any issues with your application by Wednesday, August 26.

If you have additional questions about the grant program please E-mail the grant administrators or call (805) 600-2875. Please note that they are currently receiving hundreds of E-mails per hour, so be prepared for longer-than-usual wait times.

Our partners at the Economic Development Collaborative and SCORE will be offering a series of free webinars over the next month to help businesses working through the COVID-19 world.

Wednesday, August 26, 4:30 PM | Register Here

The webinar will discuss how to approach and complete the forgiveness application for your Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan, specifically for self-employed and sole proprietor businesses. Topics will include an overview of the SBA's forgiveness rules, application forms and processes, collecting require information, and creating qualifying expense summaries.

Thursday, August 27, 4:30 PM | Register Here

This webinar will discuss the forgiveness application for your Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan, specifically for C- and S-Corporations. Review the SBA forgiveness rules, applications and processes, collecting required information, and creating qualifying expense summaries.

Thursday, September 24, 12:00 PM | Register Here

Join associate attorneys and partners from Meyers, Widders, Gibson, Jones, & Feingold in discussing commercial leasing and finding creative solutions to tenant-landlord disputes during COVID-19. The panel will review lease provisions during COVID-19, the recent eviction moratorium, effect of bankruptcies on commercial tenancies, and strategies to achieving win-win solutions for both tenants and landlords.