In partnership with the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (IE SBDC), the City of Upland will be offering a four-week Restaurant Assistance for Increased Sales and Efficiency Upland (Raise-UP) grant program, which will provide training and funding to brick-and-mortar food-based businesses located in the City of Upland. The grant program is designed to assist businesses in identifying when they are ready to expand and drive their food business to the next level.
Grant funding must be used to pay for expenses related to the following only:
This grant program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Through participation in the Raise-UP, eligible small businesses may be awarded up to $10,000. To be eligible to apply for the Raise-UP , a business must meet the following eligibility requirements.
The business must:
Additional Application Materials:
Raise-UP (Restaurant Assistance for Increased Sales and Efficiency-Upland Grant Program)
Each approved grant recipient will be required to have a City of Upland Raise-UP Grant Program Agreement and provide proof of general liability insurance. Upon completion of the four-week Raise-UP training program, the SBDC will provide applicant’s complete application and supporting documents to the City of Upland. The City of Upland’s Economic Development Team will contact each grant recipient to complete the agreement.
Notice of Grant Award
Once the City of Upland Raise-UP Grant Program Agreement is finalized and signed by all parties, each applicant will be notified to receive their grant funding. Grant funding will be on a reimbursable basis and in unique cases may be provided upfront, depending on the nature of the request at the sole discretion of the Development Services Director. Recipients must first obtain approval from the Development Services Director prior to purchase of the business expense.
Authority to Administrate
The City of Upland Raise-UP Restaurant Assistance for Increase Sales and Efficiency-Upland Grant Program will be administered through the City’s Development Services Department, Economic Development Division. Authority to modify the program guidelines rest with the Development Services Director.
Continued Support from the SBDC
The SBDC will continue to consult and train all awarded small business owners and those that were denied funding during the life of their business. The network has more than 100 business consultants who will work with each applicant one-on-one, all at no cost to the business owner. The SBDC receives funding from the Federal government and the State of California to be able to deliver services to the business owners throughout the region.
Application Steps: The basic application and supporting documentation must be submitted through an online portal by 5 p.m. on April 24, 2023. Businesses that meet all criteria will be contacted to sign up for the required RAISE-UP training program. Applicants must apply for the grant program by submitting the application online through the SBDC portal.
The SBDC will develop and manage the online portal for application submission. The online portal will support submission electronically in English, unless otherwise requested. The online application page can also be supported by other webpages hosted on the SBDC website, which explain the program, eligibility, requirements, contain FAQs, and contact information. These pages can be developed in conjunction with the city as requested and appropriate. The online portal is hosted on a secure server whereas any application data can only be accessed with login credentials residing with the SBDC. Any additional documentation required from business owners can also be submitted via the online portal or via a secure, SBDC file transfer service.
If the SBDC determines that additional information or supporting documents are needed to review a basic application, then the application is not considered complete.
Training Program: Approved applicants are required to participate in the “Raise-UP” (Restaurant Assistance for Increased Sales and Efficiency-Upland Grant Program) Training, a four-week training program, beginning April 27, 2023. Participants must attend and complete all four business assistance modules (approximately 10 hours total) to qualify for the funding. See program outline below:
Program Outline:
The Raise-UP training program covers the following topics with a focus on building growth strategies for your food operations:
Week 1: Plan to Grow Your Food Business — Every business faces a series of challenges on its path to growth. This module covers a variety of successful approaches to growth. You will find out how to grow your business as you learn about successful growth opportunities, identify failure in growth and pitfalls to avoid, and take actions setting your growth plan as aligned with your vision. Are you ready to grow?
Week 2: Manage Your Cash — Cash is king. But the question is: cash for growth or growth for cash? To grow your food business, you need to maintain adequate cash flow. In this module, you will understand your numbers through your P&L and build your financial projection to support your growth plan. This class will teach you how to accurately project growth, model it, and stress test it to make sure capital will work effectively with your growth plan. Numbers do not lie!
Week 3: Grow Your Customer Base — There is only one boss: CUSTOMERS! Growth in your food business is all about attracting new customers and/or expanding what your existing customers are buying from you. This module will take your growth plan and help you focus your efforts on bettering the outcomes of your current marketing and sales efforts, defining your target areas that you are trying to reach, and developing a strategy to grow your customer base.
Week 4: Develop Your People — In this module, you will learn actionable steps you can take to assess and develop your human capital talent into a formidable all-star force for your food business. Utilizing individual skill sets and training to personal strengths, ensures all individuals are functioning within the overall team at their highest and best use, creating a competitive edge not easily duplicated.
This program is offered through four (4) mandatory Zoom group sessions. Participants will get the opportunity to be assigned to one of our food-based business consultants, through no-cost 1:1 consulting sessions, to assist with the development of their growth plans.
For questions or additional information regarding the Raise-UP Restaurant Assistance for Increased Sales and Efficiency Upland Grant Program, please contact the following:
Norma Flores, Development Services Specialist – City of Upland
460 N. Euclid Avenue, Upland, CA 91786
(909) 931-4267
NFlores@uplandca.gov
For assistance regarding the training program or to complete the Raise-UP Restaurant Assistance for Increase Sales and Efficiency Upland Grant Program Application and to set up a one-on-one consultation (at no cost), please contact the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC):
Paul Nolta, Director – Inland Empire Small Business Development Center
3780 Market Street, Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 781-2345
pnolta@iesmallbusiness.com
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Funded in part through a grant with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
Mike Daniel is the network director of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC Network, which assists aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners throughout Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Mike was formerly the director of the SBDC office at Long Beach City College. As business owner and entrepreneur himself, he started his career as the owner of a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory location in Manhattan Beach and went on to open a second location in Long Beach in 2001. In 2007, Mike sold the Manhattan Beach store for an above-market offer then invested in several additional locations as a minority shareholder. Mike further expanded his candy empire with venture located in Shoreline Village in Long Beach called Sugar Daddies Sweet Shoppe, based on fill-it yourself candy options.
Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.
