Commercial Acquisition Fund Program
Elevate your nonprofit’s impact with the Commercial Acquisition Fund (CAF). Apply this spring to become a Qualifying Acquisition Entity (QAE) and access funding for vital projects.
A DEO Program, Administered By
Program Overview
The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is launching the Commercial Acquisition Fund (CAF) to provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations to support the acquisition of vacant or abandoned land and buildings in designated communities that were most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CAF is funded by the County, with $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and will be awarded as recoverable grants, ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000. Acquisitions and funding must occur before December 1, 2024.
Please see application process and timeline below for upcoming virtual and in-person training opportunities.
Application Process & Timeline
Webinar Opportunity
April 24, 2024 @ 10am-12pm
Genesis LA hosted its first training opportunity virtually on April 24th. The webinar details are posted in the resources page.
The application to become eligible as a Qualifying Acquisition Entity (QAE) opened on this date also.
Please watch webinar and review slide deck before submitting application.
In-Person Training
May 9, 2024 @ 10am-11:30aM and 12pm-1:30PM
Genesis LA will host its second training opportunity in-person on May 9th. This is an opportunity to drop in and ask any application related questions. Location will be shared with those who sign up below.
This is the last training opportunity before applications are due on May 20th.
Questions generated from this training will be reflected on the FAQ section of this website.
Application Timeline
May 20th @ 5PM
Applications DUE
JUNE 3rd
QAE Bench is selected and notified
June 10th
Selected QAes can begin to submit project funding applications
How To Apply
1. become a qae
Download the QAE Application below to become a QAE. Once completed, upload your QAE application submission including relevant attachments in the upload button below. Only qualified QAEs will be able to submit project funding applications.
2. apply for project funding
After you have been qualified for a QAE, you are eligible to apply for project funding. There will be a second project specific application after eligible QAEs have been selected.
View Our Program Resources
One Page Program Overview
Community Webinar
Webinar Presentation Deck
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can find the program resources in the program resources section of our website here.
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You can find all program dates under the Application Process & Timeline section of our website. The application deadline is May 20th at 5pm.
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The LA County Commercial Acquisition Fund is for $10 million. Grant amounts will be given between $500K and $2MM so we expect between 5-20 projects to receive funding through the LA CAF Program.
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The program goal is to acquire commercially zoned properties in Los Angeles County that have been vacant or abandoned for at least two years. These properties also need to be identified as highest and high need areas per the County's COVID-19 Vulnerability and Recovery Index in the Equity Explorer Tool linked here.
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Projects being developed using this LA CAF funding can not be exclusively used for housing, however the project can be mixed-use and include some housing.