San Francisco Storefront Grant Applications Open; PermitSF Events Portal Launches Feb. 13

San Francisco’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development has opened applications for the Storefront Opportunity Grant, a neighborhood-focused program that pairs financial awards with broker and lease help to get small businesses into long-empty ground-floor spaces. Applications are accepted until Friday, February 13th at 5:00PM.

The program offers “comprehensive broker services, lease review services, and a $50,000 - $100,000 grant to eligible businesses,” according to the city announcement distributed through the Office of Small Business. OEWD says the effort aims to activate vacant storefronts in specified commercial corridors, support regeneration without displacing existing businesses, and lower the financial burden of opening a storefront by offering wraparound services and financial incentives.

Award tiers reported in local coverage are tailored to business type: $50,000 for retail and personal services such as boutiques and salons; $75,000 for coffee shops, bakeries, juice bars and small cafes; and $100,000 for full-service restaurants, bars and neighborhood-serving pharmacies. Mission Local and the city newsletter list those examples as program guidance; a prior Tenderloin storefront initiative described by the SF Examiner had offered up to $50,000 under an earlier variant of the effort.

The program targets three corridors with specific street boundaries. In Excelsior the focus is Mission Street between Geneva and Mt. Vernon avenues and Geneva Avenue between Alemany Boulevard and Naples Street. The Tenderloin corridor is bounded by Geary to McAllister streets and Van Ness to Mason streets. In Visitacion Valley the eligible stretch is Leland Avenue between Bayshore Boulevard and Cora Street. LinkedIn posts tied to the rollout note the scheme runs from 1 January – 31 December 2026 and spell out program signals including that property must be vacant for at least 6 months and the program is “designed for viable, sustainable businesses.”

Eligibility details in reporting include that applicants should have operated a business in San Francisco for at least three years and that the storefront must be vacant for the minimum period identified by OEWD posts; prospective applicants should verify requirements on the city’s application materials. Examples from a prior Tenderloin grant window illustrate likely uses of funds: tenant improvements, equipment purchases and operating costs. Local entrepreneurs have already started opening storefronts with grant support, a Mediterranean restaurant opened on Golden Gate Avenue last month, and other incoming businesses listed by the Examiner include a Latin American literature bookstore, a tea shop with gluten-free baked goods, and a Middle Eastern clothing and treats store. Falafelland owner Billy Alabsi said he submitted a grant application because he wants the Tenderloin “to be a foodie place, a place that’s safe and has something to do that’s positive.”

City leaders framed the grants as part of broader recovery work. Mayor London Breed said, “Successful and thriving small businesses strengthen our neighborhoods, create jobs, and bring energy to our merchant corridors,” and “These grants are part of our strategy to fill empty storefronts and revitalize our economy, which will help our city and small business community continue to recover. I want to thank OEWD and our non-profit partners for their work to support our entrepreneurs all across the City.” Pia Harris of SFHDC added, “As we navigate through these unprecedented times for small businesses in San Francisco, OEWD is extending a lifeline in the form of grants after the completion of our training programs," and "These grants are proving to be a tremendous help to our small businesses, enabling them to purchase delivery vehicles, obtain initial inventory, or even launch their...”

The Office of Small Business newsletter bundled the storefront grant news with other items of immediate impact for local merchants. As a result of Proposition M, business registration renewal will be due on the last day of February beginning in 2026 and will be part of one unified Annual Business Registration and Tax Form. The city also noted that businesses with $5M or less in San Francisco gross receipts are generally exempt from taxes, previously the exemption threshold was $2.25M, and that many license fees are waived annually starting March 2026, with an “apply by June 19, 2026” note attached to the waiver guidance.

The newsletter also announced the city’s PermitSF special-events portal launching Feb. 13 to streamline event permitting for community organizers and businesses. Local stakeholders reacted positively: Ben Bleiman of the Excelsior Action Group called the grants a “prayer answered,” and a community member identified only as Oropeza said, “He really listens to the concerns and acts upon them right away.”

San Francisco small-business owners interested in applying should act quickly: applications close Feb. 13 at 5:00 PM. For application details and questions, contact the Office of Small Business at (415) 554-6134 or sfosb@sfgov.org, or consult the city’s small business grants page on the municipal website. The immediate outcome will be whether the program fills key vacancies this spring; over the year OEWD intends the grants to seed long-term neighborhood recovery and a steadier return of foot traffic and local commerce.