Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Spotlight Program & Microenterprise Grant Program
Dear Business Representatives,

Nearly six months after the Shelter-In-Place Order was first introduced, the guidelines on safely reopening our businesses continue to be fluid, which requires frequent contact with you as a valued business representative. An important recent change includes the State of California’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy.” The chart represents where Santa Clara County stands in the Blueprint’s “tiers” and which business activities are now allowed, as well as updates to the Milpitas Spotlight Program and the Microenterprise Grant Program.

Santa Clara County Moves from Purple to Red Tier

Under California’s new tiered system, every county is assigned a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate. As of Tuesday, September 8, Santa Clara County has been bumped up from the most restrictive Widespread (Purple) Tier to the Substantial (Red) Tier, allowing for increased lower-risk business activities as listed above.

Allowed operations in the Substantial (Red) Tier includes:

• Indoor gyms and fitness centers up to 10% capacity
• Indoor shopping malls up to 50% capacity
• Museums up to 25% capacity
• Personal care services can resume operations indoors with safety modifications
• Schools may reopen for in-person instruction once Santa Clara county has been in the Substantial (red) Tier for at least two weeks.

Please note that indoor dining, movie theaters, and places of worship are still not allowed to open in Santa Clara County. Businesses are expected to follow both the State and County Health Officer Orders, and where there is a conflict between the two, the stricter Order must be followed. More information on California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy can be found here.

Milpitas Small Business Spotlight Program

This program creates a unique marketing opportunity for fifteen local small businesses to showcase their business in a 90-second professional video production. For more information on eligibility criteria or if you would like to nominate a local business, please visit this link. Nominations for the Spotlight program will close on Monday, September 21st at 5 pm. The fifteen businesses to be “in the Spotlight” will be randomly selected through a lottery on September 25th.

Milpitas Microenterprise Grant Program

On August 4, the City Council approved $200,000 for the Milpitas Microenterprise Grant Program with the Enterprise Foundation as its fiscal agent. On August 31st, 38 applicants were conditionally chosen via lottery to receive a grant of up to $5,000 each. The grants will be distributed to the selected businesses pending approval of eligibility documents. Watch the lottery results video here. The 38 businesses selected to receive grants will be publicized soon.

Additional Resources

The County of Santa Clara has created a business landing page on its COVID-19 website for businesses to find COVID-19 resources and information. All this information can be found here or by calling the new COVID-19 Business Call Center at (408) 961-5500.

If you have any questions or need business assistance during COVID-19, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Economic Development team by sending an email. Assistance is available in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Spanish. We will continue to send out pertinent updates as they are made available to keep you informed.


In community spirit,
Alex

Alex Andrade
Economic Development Director
Phone: (408) 586-3046
455 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas CA 95035