City of Long Beach Business Brief
May 7, 2021
Welcome to the Economic Development Department's Business Brief! We are continuing to ensure you are updated on the latest business resources and news.
Long Beach Moves into State’s Yellow Tier for Economic Reopening; Revised Health Order Issued
The Health and Human Services Department has issued an updated Health Order, effective as of May 5, Long Beach enters the Yellow (Minimal) Tier, the third of four tiers outlined under the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Bars will be allowed to operate at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. Two other sectors that will be allowed to operate in the yellow tier are saunas, spas and steam rooms as well as businesses tattooing or piercing patron’s faces or mouths.

The yellow tier guidelines also have incentives for even larger capacity increases if businesses require proof of a negative test or proof of full vaccination. The city’s order will follow the state’s guidelines for the yellow tier which allow restaurants, gyms, breweries and movie theaters to increase indoor capacity to 50%.

Breweries and other places serving alcohol will no longer be required to sell food with alcoholic beverages under the new guidelines. Patrons will still be required to wear masks when moving around and maintain social distancing.
Those limits could be higher if patrons are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the last three days or prove that they’re fully vaccinated.

Private indoor gatherings are still discouraged by the city and are suggested to be kept at 50% capacity. The health order requests that private outdoor gatherings be capped at 200 people.


For the revised health order, click here.
Water Bill Assistance Program for Customers Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
Long Beach Community Action Partnership (LBCAP), partnering with the Long Beach Water Department, is providing direct financial assistance to help qualified families offset the cost of their water bills accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning May 5, 2021, LBCAP’s Water Bill Assistance program will be accepting applications from low-income households who have been impacted by the pandemic, giving them the opportunity to apply for a credit to their water bill.

Financial assistance is offered to those residents with a Long Beach water bill in their name and households that meet low-income thresholds per the Federal Poverty Guidelines, similar to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) also administered by LBCAP. If qualified, 500 households will have a flat benefit amount of $200 applied against their current or past due water bill charges. The relief is provided on a first come, first serve basis and applications will be made available through LBCAP beginning on May 5, 2021. To learn more about the program visit lbwater.org/waterbillprogram/ or read LBCAP’s May 5, 2021 Press Release.

The funding for this program is provided through LBCAP’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As per Proposition 218 California State law, no water rate payer dollars are contributing to this financial assistance program. If you have any questions, please contact me at (562) 570-2318 or by email at [email protected]. 
Restaurant Revitalization Fund
Applications are now open for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. SBA is awarding funding through the Restaurant Revitalization Program to restaurants, bars, and other similar places of business that serve food or drink. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.

The Call Center is available in 10 languages for questions at 844-279-8898. 

If you would like to prepare your application view and complete the SBA Form 3172 sample application form.

For more information and to prepare your application please visit,  www.sba.gov/restaurants (en Español: www.sba.gov/restaurantes). 
Outdoor Dining Reimbursement Program
The Downtown Long Beach Alliance reimbursement program was designed to provide financial relief to Downtown Long Beach bars, breweries, distilleries, restaurants, and wineries by awarding funding on a first-come, first-served basis, now thru June 30, 2021, or until funds are exhausted.

The program will administer 100% matching funds up to $10,000 for each establishment as a reimbursement for a variety of existing eligible expenses associated with operating outdoor service. Eligible expenses must be incurred between December 29, 2020 and June 30, 2021. The total amount of funding available in the program is $225,000.
Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at CSULB Opportunities Ecosystem Mixer
Are you a Long Beach business or entrepreneur unfamiliar with the Long Beach entrepreneurial ecosystem? The Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at CSULB can help! Join their Opportunities and Ecosystem Mixer on May 11, 2021 at 7pm PDT to hear directly from organizations that support entrepreneurs. Then stay for a virtual networking session to further engage and connect with the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
UpliftHer Accelerate Program
UpliftHer is designed by and for women and addresses the unique challenges women face as entrepreneurs. This 5-week deep-dive reveals practical and creative solutions, and explores women owned businesses. 
 
This is an experiential hands-on practical workshop series – not a set of online lectures. The goal of UpliftHer is to create an entrepreneurial experience unique to the business owners needs that helps reset the entrepreneurial mindset while providing practical solutions.
 
Each week business owners will be asked to prepare for the workshops to maximize application of the techniques and insights being learned from the workshops and other entrepreneurs to help meet the demands of the moment and in the future.
 
There will be interaction with customers, partners, and other business owners Applicants will learn how to turn a great idea into a great pivot, product, or practice. 
Contact the City of Long Beach BizCare Hotline for Immediate Assistance:

Phone number: 562-570-4BIZ (4249)
Days: Monday - Friday
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

City staff will respond to voicemails made after business hours within 24 hours.