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Level Up Grants Available to Help Long Beach Businesses Reach New Heights
By Staff Writer
Published on Wed, Feb 18, 2026
Do you have big dreams for your small business? The City of Long Beach wants to help you Level Up.
Applications are open now through March 31 for the third cohort of the Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program, designed to help local entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
Over the course of eight weeks, the program will support 20 small business owners with expert guidance and support services focused on strengthening their business and marketing plans. After completing the program, each business will receive $10,000 in grant funding.
Small businesses are the backbone of Long Beach’s economy, powering more than half of the City’s jobs and shaping the character of neighborhoods. Level Up LB is part of the City’s continued effort to invest in the people behind the storefronts, service trucks and startup ideas that keep the local marketplace humming.
Level Up LB is led by the City’s Department of Economic Development & Opportunity, with support from local partners, including the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Long Beach SBDC, SCORE Long Beach/South Bay and Visit Long Beach.
Last year, 24 small businesses received a combined $220,000 through the program. This time around, $230,000 has been allocated to continue the program as part of the Mayor’s Small Business Rebound Initiative.
Applications are open through March 31, 2026. Eligibility details and the online application are available at longbeach.gov/levelup.
Application support will be offered in-person by BizCare staff from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at the Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network Adult Career Services site (4811 Airport Plaza Drive). Additional assistance sessions will be announced on the Level Up LB webpage.
