 The City of Berkeley’s Discovered in Berkeley campaign continues to highlight local businesses enriching our community and building a better world, even during these unprecedented times. Citywide businesses, from a range of industries, were featured in Berkeleyside last week for their impressive innovations, pivots, and creativity. The article demonstrates the resilience of our business community and the City’s commitment to supporting Berkeley’s small businesses, startups and arts organizations through this pandemic – and beyond.
Check out www.DiscoveredInBerkeley.com and the @DiscoveredinBerkeley Instagram page for more inspiration. And use #DiscoveredinBerkeley when promoting the creative approaches your own business is taking on social media.
State and local Health Orders require all businesses to adopt a number of safety precautions to protect against COVID-19. These measures are essential for the safety of both customers and staff.
All the tools needed to comply are available on the City's COVID-19 business guidance webpage, including a compliance checklist, fillable social distancing protocol, downloadable signage, and links to detailed guidance from State and Federal authorities to help those who are currently closed to prepare for eventual reopening.
Visit Berkeley is setting up Berkeley Restaurant Week To Go, May 15-24th! Businesses can participate for free but must demonstrate their contribution to helping the community by either donating a portion of proceeds to a non-profit organization or including a “buy a plate, give a plate” program that feeds someone in need. (If you don't already have a non-profit partner, Visit Berkeley will connect you with the Berkeley Food and Housing Project.)
Register here to participate in #BRWToGo to support our community and be featured on www.BRWToGo.com. Submit your pre-fixe menu offering (for either $15, $20 or $25 per person) to Jeffrey Church by TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 13.
The Berkeley Chamber has created a new webpage about the City of Berkeley's testing facilities and options for small businesses to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) from local vendors and other firms servicing small businesses.
Check out the Chamber's COVID testing and PPE webpage.
SBA has reopened their Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) submission portal for agricultural businesses and applicants who applied before March 30 (applications starting with the number “2”). If you applied before March 30 and haven't received a confirmation regarding your loan request, apply again now.
More than 2.5 million loans (more than $188 billion) have been authorized so far in Round Two of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The vast majority was to smaller businesses: the average loan size was $73K.
Visit the SBA Paycheck Protection Program webpage for more info about the program, approved lenders, loans issued, and for the latest Q&A. Contact OED if you need help finding a lender.
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE)'s California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program provides low-income customers up to a 35 percent discount on their electric bill and a 20 percent discount on their natural gas bill. Eligibility for the program is based on household income and is open to recently furloughed and laid-off workers. EBCE is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for Alameda County and eleven incorporated cities, serving more than 550,000 residential and commercial customers throughout the county.
Visit EBCE's website for more information on the CARE program.
Other COVID-19 Business Resources
Local
City of Berkeley - Coronavirus page
Berkeley Chamber COVID-19 Resource page
Visit Berkeley's Food & Drinks To-Go website
Open East Bay Restaurants- from Berkeleyside
Alameda County Small Business Development Center
State of CA
Pandemic Unemployment Insurance
State of CA COVID-19 site
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development - COVID-19 Resources
Federal
US SBA Relief Options
|
