SCVNews.com | 363 small businesses receive $4 million from LA County's Entertainment Business Interruption Fund grant program

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the County Film Office have awarded $4 million to 363 small and micro businesses supporting the entertainment industry impacted by COVID-19 through the Entertainment Business Interruption Fund grant program.

The Entertainment BIF was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and created through a motion in July 2023. The motion was introduced by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsay P. Horvath and Fifth District Councilwoman Kathryn Barger with unanimous support from all five county councilors. It provided grants of $10,000 or $25,000 to a variety of small and micro businesses in Los Angeles County, including prop companies, printing companies, transportation companies, catering companies, small production companies, and more!

“The Third District is home to more studios and production companies than any other district in Los Angeles County. We are committed to supporting the entertainment industry – and the essential businesses that power it – in every way we can to ensure their continued success and growth,” said Lindsey P. Horvath, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board. “I am proud to have joined Supervisor Barger in establishing the Entertainment Business Interruption Fund to support the small, essential businesses still struggling with the economic impact of the slow return of local film and television production.”

“The entertainment industry is a vital part of Los Angeles County's economy and is connected to a wide range of other workers and contractors. From set designers to makeup artists to prop sellers, these workers rely on jobs from studios and production companies,” said Hilda L. Solis, Los Angeles County First District Executive. “Many of them have felt the impact of the simultaneous strikes – not to mention they have not yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope this support provides much-needed relief to the essential workers who live throughout the county and keep our entertainment industry running.”

“The film industry is the bedrock of Los Angeles County's economy, generating over $150 billion annually. The pandemic and subsequent strikes in the entertainment industry have hit our small businesses that operate in this industry particularly hard. The funds we are providing to our local small employers will serve as a lifeline as the industry returns to work,” said Los Angeles County Councilwoman Holly J. Mitchell.

“Our entertainment industry is a valuable part of Los Angeles County's history, and we are committed to ensuring it remains an important part of the future. We know that behind the camera is an entire ecosystem of workers and small business owners without whom this iconic industry could not function, and they need and deserve our support to succeed. These grants are our investment in that future,” said Los Angeles County Councilwoman Janice Hahn. “I am proud to stand alongside them.”

“The small family-run businesses behind our most popular films are a vital part of our local economy, but have been hit hardest by the ongoing disruptions from the pandemic to the historic double whammy of 2023,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “Los Angeles County remains firmly committed to supporting the industry, its workers and small businesses with timely and innovative solutions, such as eliminating excessive permit fees, countywide tuition waiver programs and studies on how the county can better attract and retain film, television and commercial productions – most of which are in the Fifth District. We hope those who support the industry have found some relief through our $4 million grant program.”

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down all sanctioned film and television production in Los Angeles County, and the crippling effects are still being felt industrywide today. Combined with the impact of historic labor strikes and other ongoing disruptions, the entertainment industry is still recovering.

“DEO and our County Film Office recognized the urgency of providing immediate capital support to the small businesses that serve the entertainment industry and, in response, quickly established a $4 million Business Interruption Fund – something a local county agency has never seen or done before,” said Kelly LoBianco, Director of the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity. “With a dramatic decline in film productions and thousands of jobs lost, our creative industries continue to suffer the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and historic double whammy. We hope the grant funds have provided much-needed relief in a time of crisis and remain committed to mitigating the ongoing economic consequences for our locally based, internationally renowned industry.”

“No other region in the country has responded to the pandemic with such a proactive and comprehensive approach,” said Gary Smith, director of the LA County Film Office. “As the county's primary stakeholder and point of contact for local film and television production, the LA County Film Office is committed to supporting the growth and recovery of the entertainment industry through innovative approaches, including streamlining processes, reducing fees and exploring local tax incentives.”

Through the Entertainment BIF, the DEO awarded 363 grants to small businesses in the entertainment industry impacted by COVID-19. The program awarded grants of either $25,000 or $10,000 based on revenue size and selected businesses that fall into the highest, high and medium tiers of the county's COVID-19 Vulnerability and Recovery Index. Full eligibility criteria can be found at grants.lacounty.gov. A breakdown of each tier is below:

Grant amount: USD 25,000
Total number of award-winning companies: 28

Grant amount: 10,000 USD
Total number of award-winning companies: 335

Of the 363 small and micro businesses honored, nearly half of all awards went to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) small businesses. More than half of the honorees were women-, LGBTQIA+-, veteran-, or disabled-owned small businesses, including History for Hire, a 33,000-square-foot, family-run prop house in North Hollywood that offers contemporary and historical props and graphics for rental to film and television productions.

“History For Hire Prop House has been supplying props to the entertainment industry since 1985. Founded by my husband and my brother Bob, we have supplied props to films across the United States and the world,” said Pam Elyea, co-founder and co-owner of History for Hire. “There was no film production for months after the pandemic hit. We applied for the grant because we needed money to pay rent, staff, benefits and utilities. We took a leap of faith and used the time (while keeping most of our staff employed) to put our prop catalog online. I am so grateful to LA County for the Business Interruption Fund. This fund has brought so many small businesses together to talk about our struggles and the path forward.”

Managed in partnership with Lendistry and the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, the Entertainment BIF builds on the more than $50 billion already awarded to small businesses and nonprofits through the Economic Opportunity Grant Program in 2023 and is part of the DEO's growing portfolio of capital access opportunities.

“Many small businesses in our region are still recovering from the economic impacts of the pandemic and continue to face significant challenges,” said Pat Nye, regional director of the LA SBDC. “The LA County Business Interruption Fund program is an important resource for communities throughout our region and the LA SBDC is proud to partner with LA County in supporting small businesses.”

“Entertainment is one of the largest industries here in Lendistry's hometown and requires small businesses of all kinds to support it,” said Everett K. Sands, CEO of Lendistry. “I'm proud that Lendistry was able to help the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity distribute over $4 million to help them recover from one of the biggest disruptions they've ever experienced.”

“The Business Interruption Fund is not just about recovery; it's about resilience and ensuring that entertainment companies continue to be the backbone of our local economy,” said Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, President and CEO of The Center by Lendistry. “We are pleased to have provided resources and stood by small businesses in their greatest time of need.”

“When Los Angeles competes internationally for new film, television and commercial projects, it relies on the resilience of its production support infrastructure,” said Paul Audley, President of Film LA. “Put another way, it is the working people and small businesses that support this industry and continue to enable LA's global leadership. Business losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptions of the years that followed have threatened our competitive advantages. We are grateful to Los Angeles County for implementing the Business Interruption Fund to support these businesses and the economic stability of our communities.”

Businesses that did not receive a grant or need additional assistance can find a list of capital and service support sources at Hollywood's Double Strike – Department of Economic Opportunity.

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