NKY Small Business Relief Grants

The NKY Small Business Relief Grants are a Northern Kentucky small business recovery initiative supported through a $100,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation and administered in partnership with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The program was announced by the NKY Chamber on September 2, 2026, following recent flooding and severe weather in Northern Kentucky. The partnership is intended to provide targeted financial assistance to local small businesses as they recover from the effects of extreme weather, maintain or grow their operations, and continue contributing to employment and economic activity in the region. Relief grants will be awarded in varying amounts ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. Funding may reimburse past expenses or pay for future needs. Allowable activities include enhanced service or commerce opportunities, such as modifications to physical space, technology that improves online sales, and expanded capacity for delivering goods and services. Funds may also support furniture for expanded outdoor capacity, construction materials for takeout windows, accessibility compliance associated with additional outdoor seating, and fixtures needed to address public health compliance issues. The source does not state a matching or cost-share requirement. Other supported uses include storefront beautification projects that improve the appearance of a business and the surrounding downtown region. Examples include exterior paint, awnings, signage, and planters. Grants may also pay for tools or programs addressing workforce needs, including working with a recruiter, paying to list employment opportunities, or tuition for a training program. These examples indicate that the program is intended to address both immediate recovery needs and business improvements that support continued operations, commerce, and workforce capacity. Eligibility is limited to small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Applicants must also be Duke Energy small business customers and must be located in Boone, Campbell, or Kenton County in Kentucky. The source does not identify additional eligible organization types and does not describe eligibility for nonprofits, individuals, government entities, educational institutions, or larger for-profit businesses. It also does not state additional ownership, revenue, operating-history, or incorporation requirements. Applications are being accepted online through NKYChamber.com/talent. The announcement states that applications are open through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The published source does not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement. It also does not provide a list of application questions, required attachments, narrative requirements, financial documents, or other application components. Questions concerning the application process may be directed to Nancy Spivey at 859.426.3654 or nspivey@nkychamber.com. Award recipients will be selected by an application review panel composed of NKY Chamber staff and board members in good standing. The source does not provide scored evaluation criteria, weighting, or a formal review rubric. Grant winners are expected to be notified in mid-September 2026. No grant performance period or expenditure deadline is stated, and the announcement does not indicate that the relief grant program will recur annually or on another regular schedule. The published application window therefore closes September 16, 2026, with recipient notification anticipated during the same month.

Confirm the business has 50 or fewer employees, is a Duke Energy small business customer, and is located in Boone, Campbell, or Kenton County. Align requested funding with the stated eligible uses, including recovery-related business improvements, commerce capacity, storefront beautification, accessibility or public health improvements, or workforce needs.