La Mesa and the East County Economic Development Council are reopening the city’s entrepreneurship accelerator with a new focus on established businesses, according to East County Magazine.

The La Mesa Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program, now branded as LEAP Forward, is accepting applications for its fourth cohort. East County Magazine reported that 10 selected local businesses will receive free individualized advising, technical assistance and development support.

The program began in 2022 to help business owners get ideas off the ground, but this round is aimed at operations that are already running. Eligible applicants must be for-profit businesses operating inside La Mesa city limits for at least one year, with a valid La Mesa business license and fewer than 20 employees.

Applications close Saturday, Aug. 15. Selected participants must complete four mandatory in-person Small Business Development Center training classes between September and November, three one-on-one advisory sessions and assigned coursework, with the program expected to wrap by Dec. 31.

For Santee-area businesses and entrepreneurs, the program is worth watching as an East County model for local business support. Even though the current cohort is La Mesa-specific, similar accelerator partnerships could shape how nearby cities support small businesses after pandemic-era relief funding winds down.