Long Beach awarded $205,000 in grants to 25 small businesses completing its third Level Up LB program. The entrepreneurs finished workshops, personalized counseling and business plans during the 10-week program.
A culmination ceremony took place Tuesday, Sept. 29, according to the Press-Telegram’s report. Recipients included restaurants, retail shops, health and wellness facilities, educational organizations and nonprofits throughout the city.
Long Beach Combines Grants With Business Planning
The Economic Development and Opportunity Department facilitated the Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program. Its support included workshops aimed at creating new business and marketing plans.
Participating owners also connected with support resources and received individual business counseling. The city describes the program as a way to help small businesses succeed and become sustainable.
Each small business completing the main program received $10,000, according to the city’s press release. Those businesses also received a one-year Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce membership and a Visit Long Beach marketing package.
Five additional businesses selected as alternates successfully completed the program and received $1,000 each. The report distinguishes those alternate awards from the grants to the main selected participants.
Related small-business coverage includes Los Angeles County recovery grants and Cashera’s business financing operations.
Applications Reviewed For Need And Readiness
The department received 219 applications, with 95 qualifying for selection-panel review. The panel selected 20 businesses to participate, and five alternates also completed the program.
Selection considered need, readiness to participate and the program’s potential effect on each business. The city also considered representation across neighborhoods and multiple industries, according to its release.
Several recipients operate in the Wrigley Neighborhood. They include Wrigley Coffee on Willow Street and nearby Auto Stop Insurance Services and Lovely Beauty Salon on Pacific Avenue.
Other recipients included Sesame Dinette, Long Beach Beer Lab, Long Beach Woodwinds, International City Theatre and The Bicycle Stand. The list also included All In CDL Training, SEM Computer and Unforgettable Lemonade.
The city’s awards covered a mix of neighborhood businesses rather than a single industry. Its stated selection criteria included diversity across both geography and business sectors.
Officials Describe Support For Local Entrepreneurs
Mayor Rex Richardson called the program an investment in entrepreneurs helping shape the city’s future. Richardson said creating growth opportunities supports the local economy and expands opportunity.
“Local entrepreneurs bring new ideas, energy and opportunity to our economy, and supporting their success helps build a stronger, more dynamic Long Beach,” department director Bo Martinez said in a statement.
Martinez said the department was proud to invest in the 25 businesses. Those comments describe the city’s aims for the program, rather than evidence of each recipient’s subsequent results.
For broader operational context, related coverage examines small-business operating pressures. The Long Beach program paired financial awards with business planning and counseling.
One-Time Budget Funding Supported The Cohort
Over the past year, the BizCare team provided support and resources to more than 2,000 businesses, officials said. Nearly 700 received assistance through the Inclusive Business Navigators Program.
Last year, $220,000 went to 24 businesses completing Level Up LB’s second cohort. The city’s release says the third cohort used one-time funding approved by the City Council in the adopted fiscal year 2026 budget.