Kaiser Permanente of Southern California is supporting free training for small businesses in economically underserved communities across the region.

The Pasadena-based system announced July 16 it is sponsoring Inner City Capital Connections, a program that offers up to six months of free training, education and mentorship for small businesses located in inner cities. It is the third consecutive year it has sponsored the program, for an undisclosed cost.

“Kaiser Permanente promotes local economic vitality in under-resourced areas because the social and economic conditions in our communities have a profound influence on the health of people who live, work and play there,” said John Yamamoto, vice president for community health and government relations, in a statement.

The opening seminar takes place on Aug. 1 at the Hilton Hotel in San Gabriel. The deadline to submit applications is July 24.

Participants of the program run by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a not-for-profit based near Boston, will receive free in-person coaching and learn how to access capital.

Each business owner will undergo a 40-hour business training course from between three and six months that includes seminars and webinars with coaches and mentors from banking and consulting firms.

The goal is to give them the skills they need to help their business grow and create new jobs within their communities.

The Inner City Capital Connections program, launched in Los Angeles in 2005, has raised $166 million in debt and equity capital from its nearly 200 L.A. alumni, according to the ICIC website. They have also averaged 52 percent growth in revenue and created more than 1,200 jobs in their communities.

Health business reporter Dana Bartholomew can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @_DanaBart.