Economic Opportunity Grant Program FAQs 

• What is the Economic Opportunity Grant (EOG) Program?

  The EOG is a $54 million grant program for small and microbusinesses and nonprofit agencies located in Los Angeles County with priority focused on the most COVID-impacted regions and organizations. Eligible grantees may be awarded between $2,500 and $25,000 in grants. DEO has partnered with Lendistry to create the application portal and the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network (LA SBDC) to provide outreach and application assistance. 

• Can I still apply to the EOG Program?

  No, the EOG Program application period ended on May 31, 2023. It is possible the application will reopen in the future based on the needs of the program.  Sign up here to get updates from DEO and learn about future opportunities. Follow the Department of Economic Opportunity @EconOppLA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to be the first to know about our upcoming programs and resources. 

• If the application reopens in the future, where can I get help to complete my application?

  For more information, please visit the EOG website: www.grants.lacounty.gov.

• Who do I contact if I believe I was denied incorrectly?

  EOG Tech Support has concluded.

  On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, you may have received an email stating that your application to the Los Angeles County Economic Opportunity Grant program was denied due to potential inconsistencies in documentation. This message was intended for a small, select set of applicants but was sent to additional applicants in error.  If you were sent this message in error, Lendistry, the team managing the application portal, sent a follow-up message to you shortly after indicating that the message was sent in error and to please disregard it. We apologize for any inconvenience.

   

• Where can I check the status of my existing application?

  You can check your application status at any time by logging into the portal at lacountyeog.mylendistry.com

• How will I know if my application was submitted?

  You will receive a confirmation email from noreply@lendistry.com to confirm your EOG application has been received. If you did not receive a confirmation email after submitting your EOG application, please check your spam folder for emails from noreply@lendistry.com and add the email address to your email account’s safe sender list. Any requests must be responded to for the EOG application to continue in the review process. 

• I don’t currently have a Bank Account; will that disqualify me?

  It will not disqualify you, but you will need to open a new Bank Account in your name and provide a letter from the bank confirming that your account is open and belongs to you in order to receive EOG funds, if awarded. 

• If I'm awarded funds under the EOG, is it a loan that needs to be paid back?

  No, the EOG is a grant and not a loan, so it does not need to be paid back. However, as a grant, it is possible that the grant funds may or may not be considered taxable income, depending on the individual financial status of the recipient. It is advised that grant recipients consult with a tax advisor who can provide more personalized tax information. 

• What if I am having trouble validating my Bank Account through PLAID?

  If you are experiencing issues with validating your banking information through PLAID, you must attempt to connect twice before the system will allow you to try another method to validate your bank account. It will request and provide a space to upload 2 months of bank statements to validate the account.

• Why does the application require a face scan?

  Our third-party administrator, Lendistry, is requiring the facial recognition as part of the application process to verify identity. Due to concerns about fraud in this program and in similar programs related to COVID relief, there has been heightened interest in security and identify verification. 

• What is required to review my EOG application?

  For your EOG application to be reviewed, the following items must be completed in the EOG Portal: 

  1. Fill in all fields in the application form. 

  2. Upload all required documents. 

  3. Verify your bank account. 

  4. Verify your identity. 

  5. Don’t forget to hit “Submit.” 

• What can the grant funds be used for?

  For Phase 1, grant funds can be used for the following, but not limited to: 

  • Purchase of or towards a cart; 
  • Investment in working capital, an application for or renewal of a local permit; 
  • Payment of business debt accrued due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
  • Costs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and related health and safety restrictions or business interruptions or closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

  For Phase 2, grant funds can be used for:      

  • Employee payroll expenses, working capital to continue operations;
  • Payment of outstanding business expenses (rent, supplier management, etc); 
  • Costs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and related health and safety restrictions or business interruptions, or closures incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• How soon after submitting will I know if my Phase 1 or Phase 2 application was selected?

  All Phase 1 award notifications have been issued, and transmission of Phase 1 grant awards finished in July 2023. Phase 2 application review is underway, and we anticipate starting to notify selected grantees in October. If you are a Phase 2 applicant, please be on the lookout for email communications regarding the status of your application. You can also check your application status at any time by logging into the application portal at grants.lacounty.gov

• How will I know if I was awarded an EOG grant?

  The EOG application process for this program contains multiple stages of validation. You must first meet the program’s minimum eligibility requirements in order to be considered for a grant. Important Note: Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee a grant award. 

  If the application is eligible for this program, it will then go through final validation to determine if you are approved or declined for funding. As part of this validation process, you will be required to confirm certain information live over the telephone. A team member from Lendistry, our third-party administrator, will reach out to you directly to complete this process. Once your EOG application is fully validated, you will receive an email from Lendistry to notify you if you have been approved or declined for grant funding. 

• Is there any further documentation required after I receive my approval?

  Upon approval, you will receive an email with closing documents that will need to be completed and returned to Lendistry before grant funds can be issued. The documentation must be completed within 30 days after approval to allow for disbursement of funds. 

• How will you send the grant funds?

  All EOG grant funds will be direct deposited into your Business Account.