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Economic Development

Economic Development Funding Programs

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The City of San Diego supports local nonprofits that foster the City’s economic prosperity and quality of life. Funding opportunities are available to local nonprofits that launch, expand, attract or retain businesses in the City, advancing San Diego as a leading innovation hub and tourist destination. Explore past Economic Development Funding Recipients in the interactive map above to see the variety of valuable organizations we support.

FY2023 RFP Application Process

RFP Application Period - March 21 to April 12, 2022 (5:00 p.m. PT)

Step 1: Carefully read the PDF icon FY2023 Economic Development Funding Guidelines (Updated 3-24-2022)

Step 2: If you have questions, contact the Economic Development Department by emailing us at sdbusiness@sandiego.gov or by calling us at 619-236-6700.

Step 3: Download the Sample RFP Application and complete it. This is the format that you can use to cut and paste responses into the SeamlessDocs online RFP Application. Please allow at least 1 hour for completing the online application and uploading the attachments.

Step 4: Download and complete the RFP Financial Statements Templates.

  1. Proposed Program/Project Budget for FY2023 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023)
  2. Program/Project Budget Justification (by line item)
  3. Personnel Schedule (details of personnel costs for proposed Program/Project Budget)
  • Open the Financial Statements Excel file. Enter your Organization name, dates and financial information in these worksheets:
  1. Statement of Activities – Current Fiscal Year
  2. Statement of Activities – Prior Fiscal Year
  3. Statement of Financial Position – Prior Fiscal year
  4. Statement of Computed Liquid Unrestricted Net Assets (LUNA)
  • Save or print each of the worksheets individually as a PDF (total of 7 worksheets).
  • Finally, attach each PDF in Section 5 of the SeamlessDocs online RFP Application Form.

Step 5: If submitting optional attachments, gather those items and upload under Section 5. Please allow at least 1 hour for completing the application and uploading the attachments.

Step 6: Submit your RFP Application by the deadline of 5:00 p.m. PT on April 12, 2022 through the City of San Diego SeamlessDocs portal. Please note that the online RFP Application must be completed entirely in one session.

Key Dates

March 14, 2022 (Monday): Application guidelines published

March 21, 2022 (Monday): RFP release (The SeamlessDocs link to the RFP Application will be made available on this webpage).

March 22, 2022 (Tuesday): Economic Development Funding RFP Informational Workshop, 3:00-4:00 p.m. via Zoom https://sandiego.zoomgov.com/j/1606725752

**ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY AT THIS SESSION OR THE MARCH 24, 2022 SESSION**

March 24, 2022 (Thursday): Economic Development Funding RFP Informational Workshop (repeat of March 22, 2022 session), 10:00-11:00 a.m. via Zoom https://sandiego.zoomgov.com/j/1606725752

**April 12, 2022  (Tuesday): RFP Application deadline.**

RFP must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. PT

April 20, 2022 (Wednesday): RFP recommendations submitted to the Mayor's Office

May 4 - May 10, 2022: City Council Budget Review Committee hearings (tentative award amounts have historically been available in May)

June 28, 2022 (Tuesday): Final award amounts confirmed by City and documents due

Stay Updated

Please contact us through sdbusiness@sandiego.gov if you have any questions.

Eligibility

An eligible nonprofit has a mission that closely aligns with one of the following:

  • Goal A: Creates, retains and/or expands small businesses with a neighborhood-based focus, excluding Business Improvement Districts. Past recipients of these Small Business Enhancement Program (SBEP) Microdistrict funds include Bayside Community Center and Logan Heights CDC.
  • Goal B: Creates, retains and/or expands non-base-sector small businesses by offering a program to small businesses Citywide, not focusing on specific commercial neighborhoods with BIDs or Microdistricts. Past recipients of SBEP Citywide funds include ACCION San Diego and Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC). 
  • Goal C: Promotes the City of San Diego as a visitor destination, enhancing the Tourism base sector. Past recipients include Cabrillo National Monument Foundation and Travelers Aid Society of San Diego.
  • Goal D: Enhances San Diego's economic standing and reputation as a Smart City and a center for innovation, entrepreneurship and technology development for base sector businesses (Manufacturing and Innovation, International Trade and Logistics, or Defense). Past recipients include business incubators and accelerators such as EvoNexus and TMA BlueTech, which opened a TMA BlueTech Incubator.

About Economic Development Funding

The Economic Development Funding Program covers Economic Development and Tourism Support (EDTS) and Citywide Economic Development Support (CEDS), which allocate Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue to promote San Diego as a business and tourism destination; and the Small Business Enhancement Program (SBEP), which supports small business efforts Citywide and in Microdistricts.