On Monday California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate, part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, announced that the deadline for the first round of applications for the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will be extended until Jan. 13.

The program, which officially opened Dec. 30, experienced high traffic – receiving thousands of completed applications. However, due to the high traffic, some businesses may have had trouble accessing the application.

Adjustments to the program’s website have been made and the application period has been extended to ensure that all interested applicants have the opportunity to apply.

The Round 1 application deadline has been extended from Jan. 8 to Jan. 13 at 11:59 p.m.

This grant program is not first-come, first-served, nor a rolling approval process. All applications will be reviewed following the now extended application deadline.

The funds will then be disbursed as originally planned to avoid any possible delay to small business owners receiving their grants.

The state’s selected intermediary, Lendistry, a Community Development Financial Institution, is working with other mission-based lenders and small business advisory and technical assistance providers to help small businesses with the application process in multiple languages and formats.

Many of the state-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of technical assistance to underserved business groups, are also available to help.

For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, as well as to find a local partner, please visit www.careliefgrant.com.