California Small Business Paid Family Leave Grant

Grant Overview

California Small Business Paid Family Leave (PFL) Support Grant for Employee Coverage and Training 2025

Donor: California Employment Training Panel (ETP) and California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA)

About: The California Small Business Paid Family Leave Support Grant provides essential financial assistance to small businesses adapting to employee leave requirements under the state’s Paid Family Leave program. With a dedicated funding pool of $1,000,000 from the California State General Fund, this initiative specifically targets small businesses managing workforce transitions during employee family leave periods.

This strategic support program acknowledges the unique challenges small businesses face when employees take family leave, particularly the operational adjustments and training requirements. The grant directly addresses critical business needs by providing funds for employee cross-training, temporary staff recruitment, and operational continuity during PFL periods. Starting January 2025, this support becomes even more crucial as PFL benefit payments increase to 70-90% of regular wages, potentially leading to increased program utilization.

Focus: Small business support, Employee training, Workforce development, Paid family leave implementation, Business continuity, Staff development, California workforce support

Region: California, United States

Eligibility:
-California-based small businesses actively participating in the CA Paid Family Leave Program
-Businesses with 1-50 employees eligible for $2,000 grant amount
-Businesses with 51-100 employees eligible for $1,000 grant amount
-Must have employees currently utilizing or planning to utilize PFL benefits
-Must possess valid California Employer Account Number (CEAN)
-Must have current North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code
-Employee(s) must have valid EDD Customer Account Number (CAN)

Benefits:
-$2,000 grant for businesses with 50 or fewer employees
-$1,000 grant for businesses with 51-100 employees
-Funds can support employee cross-training costs
-Coverage for temporary staff recruitment expenses
-Support for operational continuity during leave periods

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Terms:
-CEAN (California Employer Account Number): A unique 8-digit identifier assigned to California employers for tax administration purposes
-EDD CAN (Employment Development Department Customer Account Number): A 10-digit identification number assigned to individuals for managing disability insurance and paid family leave benefits
-NAICS Code: Standardized business classification system used to identify specific industry sectors
-PFL (Paid Family Leave): California state program providing wage replacement benefits to workers taking time off for family care
-LWDA (Labor and Workforce Development Agency): California state agency overseeing workforce training and development programs
-ETP (Employment Training Panel): State agency funding workforce training and development initiatives