Grants for Small Businesses

This program provides funding to schools, childcare centers, and organizations in Connecticut to enhance Farm to School initiatives by increasing local food availability, improving nutrition education, and fostering connections with local farmers.

The Oregon Community Foundation is offering a grant of $10,000 to $100,000 for projects that enhance economic vitality and workforce development in specified Oregon counties, with priority given to initiatives that improve prosperity, tax base, competitiveness, workforce skills, and image of the region, and can be used for equipment, facility upgrades, start-up costs, and other necessary services.

The 24 Squared Grant Program, funded by Square Financial Services and the Community Foundation of Utah, offers grants between $1,000 to $10,000 to Utah-based non-profit organizations engaged in community development activities such as affordable housing, small business development, reentry support, and financial wellness, with special awards for the highest scored organization, those with great potential, and those supporting local small businesses.

The City of Elizabethton in Tennessee is offering a Façade Improvement Grant Program, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, to local businesses for downtown building improvements, aiming to boost commercial sales, enhance marketability, and attract new businesses and shoppers to the area.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is offering the Resilient Food System Infrastructure grant, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, to support Vermont-based businesses and organizations in strengthening local and regional food systems by increasing market access, production, and product diversity, with a focus on creating new revenue streams and economic opportunities, improving job quality, and enhancing compliance with food safety requirements.

The Lane County Cultural Coalition in Oregon is offering Cultural Opportunity Grants ranging from $1000 to $10,000 for a year, funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust, to support projects that protect and stabilize cultural resources, expand public awareness of arts, humanities, and heritage, and increase access to culture, with a focus on access, awareness, and education in Lane County.

Gener8tor is inviting applications for its gBETA Social Impact Accelerator Program, a free, seven-week virtual initiative offering coaching, mentorship, and resources to early-stage companies focused on equity in education or criminal justice reform, with the aim to prepare them for investment accelerators or seed funding rounds.

This program provides funding to Iowa-based tourism organizations and entities to promote marketing campaigns that attract out-of-state visitors and boost local economies.

The City of San Carlos is offering a Childcare Grant Program, providing funding between $10,000 to $100,000 for local childcare centers, family childcare homes, and non-profit centers to fund capital improvement projects aimed at increasing childcare spaces, particularly for infants and children with special needs, with applications due by October 18, 2024.

This initiative provides funding and resources to early-stage, technology-focused startups from the U.S. and abroad that are willing to relocate to Kansas City, Missouri, to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

The Gener8tor gBETA Urban League Accelerator Program is a free, seven-week program designed to support the growth of Madison businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs of color, from high-tech startups to Main Street small businesses. This initiative aligns with a mission to foster economic development and provide opportunities for underrepresented business owners, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem within Madison. The program is offered multiple times a year, selecting up to five companies per cohort from a competitive applicant pool. The target beneficiaries of this program are Black entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs of color based in Madison, with a particular focus on those interested in becoming part of the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub. The program aims to address disparities in access to resources and support for these entrepreneurs, ultimately contributing to their success and the vibrancy of Madison's diverse business community. The program's priorities and focuses include individualized coaching and mentorship on company growth and investor readiness, weekly "Lunch & Learns" and "Mentor Swarms," and opportunities for investor and accelerator pitches. Additionally, participants receive over $1M in deals and perks from various vendors, and ongoing post-program support and community involvement. These elements are designed to provide a comprehensive support system that addresses the diverse needs of participating businesses at different stages of development. The expected outcomes and measurable results of the gBETA Urban League program are for graduates to either participate in an investment accelerator or successfully raise a seed round of funding. While companies can range from "idea" stage to "significant revenue," the program is particularly beneficial for those post-product, pre-scale, who are ready to intensely focus on customer growth and investor readiness. The commitment required includes approximately five hours of programming each week, with additional time expected for working on their businesses outside of the program.

The Regional Site Readiness Program’s Planning Grant, funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, offers $100,000 to $500,000 to local governments, economic development organizations, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and private landowners for planning and due diligence activities aimed at preparing industrial and manufacturing sites for future development across all counties in Illinois.

This program provides funding for colleges and universities to engage undergraduate students in hands-on research experiences across various scientific fields, with a focus on supporting those from underrepresented backgrounds.

The "Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund: Resilient Communities Program" grant aims to use $1B in funding to enhance Puerto Rico's energy resilience and clean energy economy, particularly focusing on mitigating power outage impacts on low-income residents, ensuring energy reliability for healthcare services in disadvantaged communities, and supporting the growth of the clean energy workforce, through the installation of solar PV and battery storage in subsidized multi-family properties and community healthcare facilities.

The Town of Trophy Club's Thrive Business Grant Program offers matching grants to local businesses for improvement projects such as façade enhancements, interior renovations, and equipment purchases, aiming to boost economic growth and community prosperity, with the application deadline set for September 30, 2024.

This grant provides funding for innovative projects that promote community sustainability and climate action within Flagstaff, targeting individuals, community groups, nonprofits, and local businesses.

The Regional Site Readiness Program’s Capital Ready Grant Program, funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, offers between $250,000 to $3,000,000 to local governments, economic development organizations, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and private landowners for infrastructure and capital improvements to prepare sites for future industrial and manufacturing development across all counties in Illinois.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to eligible contractors for developing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that benefit low-income communities and promote workforce training in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering the Manufacturing Retention Grant Program. This program is designed to help manufacturing companies maintain their operational presence within Illinois. Its core mission is to encourage businesses to invest in their workforce, facilities, equipment, technologies, and infrastructure, thereby securing existing jobs and fostering economic stability in the state. The program is supported through the Enterprise Fund, administered by DCEO, which typically funds a broad range of economic development projects. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are private for-profit business entities that operate a major manufacturing complex in Bushnell, Illinois, specifically within McDonough County. These companies must have less than 1,000 employees and extensive experience in tool manufacturing. A key eligibility criterion is the requirement to have acquired a tool manufacturing firm in McDonough County with a minimum of 100 full-time equivalent employees. The grant's impact goal is to retain these companies' manufacturing campuses at operating production levels that support at least 100 employees at the Bushnell site. The program prioritizes job retention in Illinois through various investments. Eligible expenses encompass employee payroll for existing employees (including backpay incurred from May 14, 2024), invoices for services, training expenses for existing employees, and significant capital improvements. These improvements include refurbishment or replacement of machinery, equipment, and tooling (e.g., forging hammers, Swiss lathes), facility repairs (e.g., roof repair, electrical upgrades), productivity and innovation initiatives (e.g., robotics reprogramming, induction heat furnaces), and the replenishment of inventory to maintain standard stocking levels for daily production. The expected outcome of the Manufacturing Retention Grant Program is the successful retention of manufacturing operations and a minimum employment level of 100 employees at the Bushnell site. Measurable results will be directly tied to the utilization of the $5,000,000 total funding, with a performance period spanning from September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2026. The DCEO's strategic priority, as evidenced by this program, is to safeguard manufacturing jobs and foster a robust economic environment within Illinois, aligning with a theory of change that posits direct investment in established manufacturing entities will lead to sustained employment and economic growth.

This program provides funding for innovative infrastructure projects in Maryland's key technology sectors, supporting private companies, nonprofits, local governments, and educational institutions to drive economic development and technological advancement.