Business and Commerce Grants

The Minnesota State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Program, overseen by the Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, invites eligible Minnesota-based small businesses to apply for funding aimed at facilitating export development activities. This initiative is designed to support businesses either embarking on exporting or looking to expand their exports from Minnesota. With a fund of approximately $200,000 available for the program year ending on June 30, 2022, the STEP program offers financial and technical assistance to qualified applicants. The grant mandates a 50% matching fund from recipients, capped at $7,500. Applications are evaluated competitively upon receipt, with a recommendation for early submission to ensure timely review, especially for activities involving travel. Rolling (applications accepted until funds are fully allocated)

The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program and the Low-Density Population Pilot Program, established by the Minnesota legislature in 2014 and continued in 2023, are aimed at promoting broadband infrastructure expansion in Minnesota's unserved or underserved areas. Managed by the State of Minnesota, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), these programs provide grants to assist broadband providers with the costs of infrastructure installation. The 2024 grant application cycle, announced by DEED, will open on March 12, 2024, with an application deadline of May 10, 2024. Applicants must register and submit applications via DEED’s Grants Management System, following the detailed instructions on DEED's website. The announcement of awards is anticipated in Summer 2024, with project completion required by December 31, 2026. DEED also hosts an information webinar to guide applicants through the application process.

This program provides financial support to retail, service, and restaurant businesses in East Haddam and Haddam to help them recover from revenue losses caused by local construction disruptions.

This program provides $145 million in financial assistance to hospitality businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through county-established grant programs.

This program provides financial assistance to small to mid-sized companies in Pennsylvania to help them expand their export sales through various eligible activities and services.

This program provides funding to small local governments in Pennsylvania for community revitalization projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources administers the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program to strengthen the local food system, enhance equitable access to locally produced food, and improve resilience to supply and distribution disruptions. The program connects farmers, fishermen, and local producers to markets and builds the infrastructure required to produce and distribute healthy food efficiently and safely. Eligible projects are capital in nature and may include equipment purchases, contracted labor for implementation, and planning and design costs directly tied to capital improvements. Projects must address systemic inequities and expand access to fresh local food while improving the resiliency of the Commonwealths food system. Maximum funding per applicant is 500,000 dollars in both agriculture and local food system tracks. Applicants may be individuals, for profit entities, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, or other governmental entities that can meet application requirements and enter into contracts with the department. The grant period runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, and projects must be located within Massachusetts with benefits to residents statewide. Applications are due May 2, 2024. Additional information is available from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

This program provides financial guarantees to support local governments and developers in revitalizing underutilized properties and stimulating economic growth in communities across the Commonwealth.

This program provides financial assistance to businesses and organizations in Pennsylvania for developing and implementing alternative and clean energy projects, helping to create jobs and promote sustainable energy solutions.

Rising Restaurateur: A Community Grant Program is an innovative microgrant program that offers $200,000 in microgrants to New York City Latino, Black, Indigenous, Asian American and/or Pacific Islander restaurateurs. From brick-and-mortar establishments to food trucks and carts, BIPOC/AAPI+ entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry can apply for microgrants of up to $10,000 to uplift their businesses. Selected participants will also have access to additional business development opportunities through Oyate Group. Rising Restaurateur is a partnership between Oyate Group, Grubhub and the New York State Latino Restaurant Bar & Lounge Association. To participate, restaurateurs must be Latino, Black, Indigenous, Asian American and/or Pacific Islander, based in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Westchester County (Mt. Vernon and Yonkers), operating as a single business with 30 or fewer employees and a revenue of $2 million or less. Members of the New York State Latino Restaurant Bar & Lounge Association are encouraged to apply. Grant funding is made possible by Grubhub and Oyate Group.

This program provides financial assistance to Iowa cities for the redevelopment or rehabilitation of underutilized buildings to promote economic growth and community revitalization.

This is a special notice to provide information about the upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity to establish APEX Accelerators in Fiscal Year 2025. The Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) was established by section 1241 of the Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1985 (Public Law 98-525) to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in government contracts. Under this announcement, the Department of Defense will award cost sharing cooperative agreements to eligible program participants who will establish or maintain APEX Accelerators. The APEX Accelerators serve as a resource for businesses to obtain information and training related to contracting opportunities with DoD, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors. Procurement professionals at the APEX Accelerators provide critical assistance to businesses seeking to participate in government contracts and most of the assistance they provide is free. B. Program Description/Objective: Award recipients must establish and maintain an APEX Accelerator with physical location(s) to serve as a resource for large and small businesses to obtain procurement technical assistance. Procurement technical assistance means professional, specialized assistance provided to clients that enables them to identify potential contractual opportunities and obtain or perform under contracts, innovation and technology grants, and other DoD-funded instruments, with DoD, other Federal agencies, State and/or local governments, and with Federal, State and/or local government contractors. Clients may include any business pursuing or performing these types of contracts or subcontracts at any tier. As used in this part, the terms “State” and “local government” have the meanings provided in 10 U.S.C. 4951. Innovation and technology grants refer to awards issued pursuant to the Small Business Innovation Research and/or Small Business Technology Transfer programs. You must collaborate with DoD and other Federal agencies and work cooperatively with them to accomplish the work under this award.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Recovery Reimbursement Grant, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, aims to support farms, integrators, and allied industries directly impacted by HPAI, particularly those within control or quarantine zones. The program is designed to mitigate financial losses by reimbursing eligible costs related to the outbreak. With five rounds of funding, the latest round focuses on biosecurity enhancement reimbursements up to $25,000 per premises, with a total fund allocation of $2 million. This initiative encourages the implementation or improvement of biosecurity practices to elevate poultry farm and business biosecurity standards, address weaknesses, and decrease HPAI cases. The application deadline for Round Five has been extended to May 2, 2024, with eligible expenses including loss of income, mortgage interest, rent, utility payments, working capital for reopening, and payroll costs among others.

This program provides financial support to nonprofits, public agencies, and first responder organizations in Virginia for projects that improve community development, education, and economic growth in rural areas.

The Charlevoix County Community Foundation invites applications to its Community Priorities Grant cycle to enhance quality of life for residents of Charlevoix County, Michigan. The cycle offers eligible nonprofit partners and public entities an opportunity to seek support for projects and programs addressing local needs, and donor advisors may also recommend grants through the cycle. Proposals are evaluated for organizational impact and relevance, leadership and capacity, financial solvency, the extent to which funds strengthen the organization or the community served, the comprehensiveness of planning and proposed activities, and the expected duration of impact. The program is intended to reach a variety of needs in the county. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, units of government, and educational institutions from preschool through college that serve Charlevoix County residents and do not discriminate in hiring or service provision. Grant size and duration are not stated in the description. Applications are due May 1, 2024 through the foundation’s process. Applicants should consult the Community Foundation for official details and submission instructions.

This program provides financial support to destinations for hosting regional and national meetings or conventions, helping cover facility rental and transportation costs to boost local economies.

This program provides up to $1 million annually to promote and support the growth of Pennsylvania's malt and brewed beverage industries through marketing, research, and training initiatives.

This program provides funding to support marketing and research initiatives that enhance wine production and promote the Pennsylvania wine industry.

AgWest Farm Credit's New Producer Grant Program supports new agricultural producers who have two years or less of operational experience or plan to start their operation within two years of applying. The grant aims to alleviate the challenge of lacking start-up funds, celebrating the ingenuity and passion of new producers. Successful applicants will receive a one-time $15,000 grant to support their operation's growth. The grant focuses on applicants within AgWest Farm Credit’s territory who are not current lending customers and are U.S. citizens or lawful residents.

The National Sea Grant College Program was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1966 (amended in 2020, Public Law 116-221) to support leveraged federal and state partnerships that harness the intellectual capacity of the nations universities and research institutions to solve problems and generate opportunities in coastal communities. The American lobster (Homarus americanus) and its fishery continue to face significant environmental complexity and socio-economic uncertainty with far-reaching impacts for resource management and community resiliency. In 2022, the American lobster fishery landed approximately 119 million pounds of lobster worth $516 million dollars. This stands in stark contrast to the 2021 commercial harvest that landed 134 million pounds of lobster worth a record setting $924 million dollars. Recent surveys have detected a nearly 40% decline in young lobster recruitment from the important fishing areas of Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine, signaling concern for the fisherys future and challenges for resource managers and lobster fishermen alike. While there are fluctuations each year that reflect environmental factors such as water temperature and economic conditions such as operational costs, the degree of volatility and uncertainty is without precedent. These impacts are particularly acute in the state of Maine, where approximately eighty percent of American Lobsters are landed each year and the lobster fishery is a major driver of the states marine economy and cultural identity. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissions 2020 stock assessment indicated record high stock abundance for American Lobster in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank and continued declines in southern New England. Additional analyses of landing data from the state of Maine show a downward trend from a high in 2016 of 132 million pounds to an annual average of 102 million pounds between 2019 and 2021. As ecosystem changes persist and the Gulf of Maine continues to warm, it is imperative that research, data, and observations document change, inform gaps, and help communities prepare for the future state of the American Lobster fishery. The American Lobster fisherys sustainability relies not only on the ecological understanding of the species in the face of environmental change but also the economic resiliency of the industry and the communities supported by the fishery. Expanding uses of the marine environment and anticipated management changes will have significant implications for future harvests, alter business models and shift how and where the lobster industry operates. Understanding the economic and social systems impacted by these changes can enhance the industry and communities capacity for resilience to impending environmental and resource management changes by mitigating negative impacts and supporting emerging opportunities. Research approaches that examine social systems and economic implications of regulatory/management changes are needed to fill a critical knowledge gap and inform integrated approaches to these complex issues impacting the lobster fishery. These include economic impact assessments, policy analyses, dimensions of community well-being, workforce diversification, as well as informal and formal governance structures. In FY24, consistent with its mission to enhance practical use and conservation in order to create a sustainable economy and environment, Sea Grants American Lobster Research Program will fund projects that address priority research needs to enhance our understanding of and address impacts to this significant, complex and dynamic fishery. Projects that involve partnerships among industry, State agencies, and/or academia, including but not limited to cooperative research or co-production, are strongly encouraged. Topics suitable for investigation on American lobster and its fishery under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) should have a geographic focus on the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and/or southern New England and address one or more of the following funding priorities: Life history parameters under changing climate conditions, including but not limited to temperature, growth, and mortality Species distribution and abundance in response to environmental change, including but not limited to deep water settlement Impacts of environmental change and/or economic uncertainty on social systems, including but not limited to dimensions of community well-being, formal and informal governance structures, and workforce diversification Economic implications of policy and potential regulatory changes and/or other future resource management actions Sea Grant anticipates having up to $2 million dollars to fund a diversity of projects with funding requests up to $600,000 dollars in FY24. Projects may be one or two years in duration with a maximum of two years. All projects must take place within the United States or territories or their respective waterways. Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions. Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C). Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application. This document sets out requirements for submitting to NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-25871.