Surf City Small Business Digital Grant Program

The City of Huntington Beach has partnered with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to develop the Surf City Small Business Digital Grant Program for eligible, brick-and-mortar commercial businesses located in Huntington Beach.

Build your digital footprint with the Surf City Small Business Digital Grant Program.

Businesses may be eligible to receive a digital marketing grant of $1,000 following the three-week training program. The grant must be used for a paid digital/online advertising campaign.

Take advantage of this opportunity to elevate your business!

Eligibility

Must be a brick-and-mortar commercial business, physically located in Huntington Beach;
Must have a current City of Huntington Beach business license on file.
Cannabis-related businesses, gambling facilities, adult entertainment businesses, massage parlors, non-profits, and largely cash-based businesses are not eligible;
Residential or real estate projects including short-term rental operators are not eligible;
As of January 1, 2026, must have at least a minimum of two employees –which may also include the owner – and no more than twenty-five full-time equivalent employees (two part-time employees equal one full-time employee);
Must be in good standing with the City (current on bills, no liens or judgements, etc.);
Must submit the application and all required supporting documentation.
The Business understands the grant is distributed as part of a three-week digital marketing training program.
Attend one-on-one consulting session with SBDC.

Application Process and Timeline

Apply online via the form below beginning Monday, April 13 at 8 a.m. Applications close Sunday, April 26 at 11:59 p.m.
Meet all program eligibility requirements; SBDC will review the application for completeness and eligibility.
Once conditional eligibility is conﬁrmed, applicant must submit all required documentation through the portal.
Applicants notiﬁed and program participation conﬁrmed.
Training Program Schedule
- Session 1: Wednesday, May 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. (Virtual)
- Session 2: Wednesday, May 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. (Virtual)
- Session 3: Wednesday, June 3 (Location to be announced)

Eligible Activities

The funds must be used to develop a paid digital/online advertising campaign for the purpose of increasing the Business’s social media presence. This advertising campaign will be developed during the program and in conjunction with an SBDC business consultant. Each applicant will need to sign and verify that the use of funds will be spent on a paid advertising campaign, such as expressed above.

In addition, the applicant must attend the virtual Surf City Small Business Digital Grant Program sessions to receive these funds. Any use of funding other than for paid advertising is strictly prohibited. In addition, the applicant cannot use these funds for paid advertising costs that have been or will be reimbursed or recovered through other funding programs.