Small businesses across Los Angeles County can apply to put the LA28 Olympic emblem on locally made products starting Friday, Oct. 30, under a new licensing program the organizing committee announced Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The program, called Made for Two-Eight, opens a path for small manufacturers and artisans to become official licensees of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Homeboy Industries, the Los Angeles nonprofit known for its silkscreen and embroidery work, signed on as the program's first licensee, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported.
Under its agreement, Homeboy will produce apparel and accessories bearing the LA28 brand. Inside The Games reported that the products will include t-shirts featuring the Olympic torch, with imagery paying homage to both the 2028 Games and the 1984 LA Olympics, in which Homeboy founder the Rev. Gregory Boyle carried the torch.
"This will give our folks a global stage to showcase their talents," Boyle said, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.
Businesses that win licenses will be able to use LA28 intellectual property on their merchandise and sell approved products through multiple platforms, including their own. License terms are expected to begin around mid-July 2027 and run through the end of the Paralympic Games in August 2028, according to Westside Current. Each license covers a specific product category.
To qualify, applicants must meet three requirements: products must be manufactured at a physical facility in Los Angeles County, materials should be sourced from the county, and the business must meet U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards. The selection process will give priority to facilities and materials within the city of Los Angeles.
During the first month after applications open, only businesses with facilities inside the city of Los Angeles will have their applications reviewed. After that window, the program expands to the rest of the county.
LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said the committee's goal "from day one has been to ensure the economic benefits of the Games reach our local neighborhoods." Mayor Karen Bass said the Games are projected to generate up to $40 billion in economic activity. The basis for that projection was not detailed in the announcement.
The licensing effort builds on LA28's earlier commitment to direct 25% of Olympics-related contracts to small businesses in the greater Los Angeles region, as Westside Current previously reported.
Homeboy Industries wrote on Instagram that launching as an inaugural partner "makes a statement that the games are for everyone," noting that its silkscreen operation has been working in Los Angeles for 30 years.
Applications open Oct. 30 at RAMPLA.org and close in February 2027. LA28 said it will announce selected licensees in July 2027. The organizing committee said it will publish category-specific terms when formal applications open.
