eBay has launched its Up & Running accelerator program to assist small business retailers in developing an e-commerce presence amid brick-and-mortar closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up & Running is a $100 million support program that provides new sellers a free basic eBay store for three months, connecting them to the marketplace’s shoppers digitally. The new storefronts allow businesses to sell up to 500 items for free. eBay will also provide small business retailers educational webinars, individual support and access to experienced sellers willing to be mentors.
"For the last 25 years, eBay has helped launch and grow hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and now we've created Up & Running to accelerate the start-up time frame for retailers opening online stores during these unprecedented times," says Jordan Sweetnam, senior vice president, eBay North America. "eBay was built on the simple premise that connecting buyers and sellers around the world creates economic opportunity, and this is exactly what we need to be doing – now more than ever."
More information about the program can be found at ebay.com/upandrunning. The initiative joins other business-focused COVID-19 relief efforts from companies such as Blenders Eyewear and Leomil.