LA28 Made for Two-Eight License: How LA Makers Can Apply

Los Angeles makers have a new way into the 2028 Games, and the first deadline that matters is this Friday. LA28 has announced a licensing program that lets small businesses in Los Angeles County put the official Olympic and Paralympic emblem on products they make locally. Applications open October 30. Here is what the organizers have published so far, what they have not, and how a small manufacturer can prepare this week.

What LA28 announced

The program is called Made for Two-Eight. LA28 unveiled it October 20 at Homeboy Industries, which became the first official licensee, according to the LA28 announcement. Homeboy's silkscreen and embroidery enterprise will produce apparel and accessories, and the Los Angeles Times reports that its first design is a T-shirt featuring an Olympic torch. LA28 told the Times it plans to announce more local partners making goods such as stationery, toys, hats, magnets, candles and pet accessories.

Licensees will be able to sell approved products through several channels, including their own, during the license term. Each license is tied to a product category and a limited period. LA28 says terms begin around the one-year-out mark before the Games and run through the end of the Paralympics in August 2028. A Westside Current report puts the expected start around mid-July 2027.

Who qualifies

LA28 lists three requirements:

• Made in LA County. Products must be manufactured or created at a physical facility in the county, with priority for facilities inside the City of Los Angeles.
• Local materials. Materials should come from LA County. Applicants that source all or nearly all materials locally, where feasible, get priority, with extra weight for City of LA sourcing.
• Small business size. The company must qualify as small under U.S. Small Business Administration size standards.

Applications are reviewed exclusively from City of LA manufacturers during the first month. After that, the process opens to other eligible county businesses.

Key dates

• October 30, 2026: applications open at RAMPLA.org, the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement.
• February 2027: applications close.
• July 2027: awardees are announced.

LA28 says standard terms and conditions for each category will be published when applications open. That means details that matter to your margins, such as fees, royalty structure, approval steps and minimums, are not public yet. Do not assume them, and read them closely before you commit inventory or hire staff.

How to prepare this week

Nothing below is required by LA28. These are practical suggestions from our newsroom based on what the organizers have said.

1. Register on RAMPLA now. LA28 asks interested businesses to register and turn on the Sports and Entertainment Announcements and Opportunities notification, so you see the terms the day they appear.
2. Check your SBA size status. The standards vary by industry code, so confirm where your business falls rather than guessing. The SBA publishes its size standards online.
3. Map your supply chain. If your fabric, packaging or components come from outside the county, find out which inputs could realistically be sourced locally. LA28 says it will weigh this in selection.
4. Pick a category and a product. Licenses are category-specific, so a focused pitch for one well-made item is easier to evaluate than a catalog.
5. Estimate capacity. Demand for Games merchandise is expected to peak as visitors arrive. Work out what you could produce, how quickly, and what cash you would need up front.
6. Talk to your chamber. LA28 points applicants to local chambers of commerce for updates as the program rolls out.

Not the only door

LA28 is running more than one local-business track. CBS Los Angeles reports that applications for a separate LA Authentic program, aimed at restaurants, caterers, food trucks, carts and mobile vendors, opened last month. Mayor Karen Bass also pointed in the LA28 announcement to her annual Sports and Entertainment Procurement Summits as part of preparing local businesses for the Games. If you sell food or services rather than manufactured goods, those are the tracks to watch.

The bottom line

Made for Two-Eight rewards businesses that physically make things in Los Angeles County and can show it. The window is long, with applications open through February, but the City of LA head start and the unpublished terms mean the smart move is to get registered and organized now. We will update this story when LA28 posts the category terms.

Sources: LA28 announcement, Oct. 20, 2026 · Los Angeles Times · CBS Los Angeles · Westside Current · Santa Monica Daily Press