Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program

As part of the Tustin Cares program, the City of Tustin has partnered with Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to offer a virtual four-week Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program, which will provide training and funding to retail businesses, home-based businesses and nonprofits (collectively, "Business or Businesses") seeking to increase their social media presence and/or revenue due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. All eligible Businesses are invited to apply.

The program will consist of building a digital presence over four (4) weeks. All sessions will take place in a group format and will be coupled with individual one-on-one consulting with SBDC consultants. The program will be in English only.

Businesses with a minimum of 2 employees - which may also include owner, and a maximum of twenty-five (25) employees (full or full-time equivalent combination) may be eligible to receive a digital marketing grant of one thousand dollars ($1,000). The grant must be used for a paid digital/online advertising campaign, developed during the training program and in conjunction with a SBDC consultant. 

Businesses which have previously received alternative sources of funding such as the City of Tustin Small Business Emergency Grant, the City of Tustin Non-Profit Recovery Grant, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan are eligible to apply. The program is based on the availability of funds, program guidelines and submission of all required information and supporting documentation.

The City’s Economic Development Department will be responsible for oversight of the Tustin Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program and disbursement of funds will take place through the City’s Finance Department. SBDC, the City's Program Partner, will be responsible for program administration, application processing, underwriting, training and for the review and approval of financial and business documentation for disbursement approval.  City staff is obligated to fulfill the terms and conditions of the funds as established by the City Council, these program guidelines, and Federal, State, and local rules and regulations.

GRANT APPLICATION

The Digital Training & Grant Program application is NOW CLOSED.

GRANT GUIDELINES

The Tustin Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program guidelines are available for review and can be downloaded by clicking here.

The training program will cover the following topics

All about Google

  • Understanding how customers find you in a digital world
  • Why Google?
  • Creating your own Google profile

Reaching my Audience through Facebook (FB) and Instagram (IG)

  • How to use social media, specifically Facebook and Instagram
  • Capturing pictures and video
  • Creating a successful: call to action

My First Facebook/Instagram (FB/IG) Post

  • How to post a video or picture to Facebook or Instagram
  • Each Business will post their video/picture
  • How to attract a fan base to social media
  • Creating a successful social media campaign that increases sales

Advertising on Social Media

  • Different types of advertising campaigns on Facebook and Instagram
  • What is the cost to run an ad campaign? How much should you spend?
  • What should you be measuring?
  • What goes in a FB/IG ad campaign
  • Are Twitter and TikTok a good option for your Business?

Setting up the FB/IG Campaign

  • Let's put together and launch your FB/IG Campaign
  • What are you offering (Call to action and image/video)?
  • Who are you targeting?
  • Which Keywords are you using?
  • What is your goal?
  • How much are you spending?

Wrap-up: Utilizing Grant for Paid Digital/Online Advertising - Measuring and Tracking

Eligibility & How to Apply

To be eligible to apply for the Tustin Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program, a retail business, home-based business or nonprofit, must meet certain criteria that has been established by the City of Tustin and retail businesses and home-based businesses must meet the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Treasury for utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Please read the General Terms and Conditions under Eligibility on page four (4) of The Tustin Main Street Digital Training & Grant guidelines by clicking here.  

The program application will be available online only at 9:00 am on Monday, May 1, 2023. Applicants must apply for the training program online by accessing the application portal.

GRANT APPLICATION

THE APPLICATION PERIOD HAS CLOSED.
(NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED)

Applications must be submitted online and will only be accepted from 9:00 am, Monday, May 1, to 11:59 pm on Sunday, May 14. The application period will close promptly at 11:59 pm on May 14. Applications received online after this due date and time will be considered late and will not be accepted.   

Lottery

The City of Tustin is expecting the Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program to have an overwhelming number of applications. If the number of applications far exceeds the amount of funding that is available for disbursement, the City will implement a lottery system for all eligible Businesses. Once applications and eligibility have been approved, they will be assigned a number and entered into a lottery. Potential program participants will be contacted by email, phone and/or letter starting May 22, 2023. 

Contact Information 

For additional information regarding the Tustin Main Street Digital Training & Grant Program, please contact the following:

City of Tustin 
Economic Development Department
300 Centennial Way
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573- 3117
TustinEconDevDept@tustinca.org

For questions about the guidelines and application or assistance in completing the application and to set up a one-on-one consultation (at no cost), please contact the SBDC at:

Manal Richa, Director
Small Business Development Center - CSUF
15375 Barranca Parkway, Suite A111
Irvine, CA 92618
(657) 256-3874 office
Manal.Richa@ociesbdc.com