State Business and Commerce Grants

This program provides a no-cost, 20-week development opportunity for small business owners in Massachusetts, Maine, or Rhode Island to receive mentorship and resources to grow their businesses and positively impact their communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts to deliver essential pre- and post-release services for young adults reentering society, with a focus on reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety.

The Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners was created in 1921 to regulate architecture, engineering, landscape architecture and interior design in the State of Tennessee. The current requirements for the licensure or registration of architects and architectural firms, engineers, engineer interns and engineering firms, landscape architects and landscape architectural firms, and interior designers can be found in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 2.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is offering grants under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. This program aims to transform the food system by increasing options, improving access, and creating new and better markets for small and mid-size producers. The core mission is to build a more diversified, distributed, and local food system to enhance its resilience and benefit consumers, producers, and rural communities. The RFSI program targets a broad range of beneficiaries, including agricultural producers and processors (or groups thereof), nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, local government entities, tribal governments, and institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals. The primary impact goal is to strengthen the middle of the food supply chain in Pennsylvania. Expected outcomes include increased production capacities for food processors, improved storage for produce and grains, and enhanced aggregation points like food hubs and farmer cooperatives. Funding priorities are aligned with addressing critical gaps in Pennsylvania's middle food supply chain. Specifically, the program prioritizes projects that establish or enhance aggregation points, improve food processing infrastructure (including equipment upgrades and moves to licensed spaces), and expand storage facilities, particularly cold storage in urban areas and storage for identity-preserved grains and dry beans. The USDA also encourages projects that benefit underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farmers, veteran producers, and businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals. The grant program offers Simplified Equipment-Only Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, which do not require cost sharing or matching. These are fixed-price grants solely for equipment purchases, with funds to be awarded no earlier than July 1, 2024, and projects completed by June 30, 2026. This focused approach on equipment aims to directly support tangible improvements in the food system's infrastructure, enabling producers and processors to expand and diversify their operations.

The Texas Workforce Commission is offering a grant for local boards and higher education institutions to create Externships for Teachers, aiming to connect classroom learning with real-world industry skills, thereby preparing students for future workforce demands in their local Texas communities.

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) offers Support for Targeted Opportunities, a grant program designed to enhance artistic diversity across New York State by valuing artists and creative expression. This aligns with NYSCA's mission to provide support that strengthens the arts and cultural sector within the state. The program focuses on creative performance residencies, subsidized rehearsal spaces for all performing art forms, and folk arts apprenticeships, reflecting a commitment to fostering a wide range of artistic endeavors. The target beneficiaries of this program are nonprofit organizations, State- or Federally-recognized Native American nations, or units of local or federal government in New York State. The program aims to support organizations that provide opportunities for artists and promote diverse artistic expressions. The impact goals include increasing access to resources for performing artists and folk artists, thereby enriching the cultural landscape of New York State. Key priorities and focuses for FY2025 include Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships, Rehearsal and Studio Space for Performing Arts, and Performing Arts Residencies. These specific opportunities demonstrate NYSCA's strategic approach to addressing critical needs within the arts community, ensuring that artists have the necessary support to develop and present their work. The emphasis on these areas suggests a theory of change that by providing foundational support, artistic innovation and accessibility will flourish. The expected outcomes include a greater number of creative performances, increased availability of affordable rehearsal spaces, and the preservation and transmission of folk and traditional arts through apprenticeships. Measurable results for this program are indicated by the award amount of $10,000 for each successful application, providing a tangible measure of the support extended to eligible organizations. The program’s focus on fostering artistic diversity and supporting various art forms underscores NYSCA's broader strategic priorities in cultural development and community engagement.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Texas political subdivisions and nonprofit organizations for implementing evidence-based opioid prevention education and awareness programs in K-12 schools, particularly targeting underserved communities.

This grant provides funding to food entrepreneurs in Utah to help them grow their businesses, improve food processing and storage, and enhance local food systems, particularly in economically distressed areas.

This program provides funding to businesses and organizations looking to enter or expand in Maryland's offshore wind supply chain, with a focus on supporting emerging businesses owned by women, veterans, and minorities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to various organizations in California for improving the sorting and processing infrastructure of beverage container recycling to enhance material quality and reduce contamination.

This grant provides financial support to urban farmers in Minnesota for implementing conservation practices that improve environmental health and farm sustainability.

This funding opportunity supports organizations that provide job readiness training and work experience to help District residents facing employment barriers secure permanent jobs.

This grant provides funding to organizations and initiatives focused on improving access to newborn hearing screening and services in Minnesota.

This award recognizes and honors small businesses in Nevada's agriculture, food, and beverage sectors that demonstrate exceptional contributions to the state's economy and community.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering the Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets (RDMS) Capital Grant Program to support capital projects aimed at revitalizing commercial corridors and downtown areas in Illinois. This initiative is part of the effort to accelerate economic recovery following the pandemic, targeting areas that have experienced significant disinvestment. The program will fund projects such as the improvement and repair of infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, lighting), development of public spaces, and mixed-use developments. Grants range from $250,000 to $2,000,000, with an anticipated total funding of $20,000,000. Eligible applicants include economic development organizations, local units of government, and private businesses. The application period is from April 22, 2024, to July 22, 2024.

This grant provides funding to individuals, farmers, businesses, and organizations in Minnesota to enhance production capacity and market access for value-added agricultural products, with a focus on improving food safety and hemp fiber processing.

The Washington State Department of Ecology's Air Quality VW Electric Vehicle Charging Level 2: Charge Where You Are Funding aims to expand Level 2 EV charging access throughout Washington State. This initiative aligns with the state's broader mission to reduce emissions, particularly from diesel engines, and to fully mitigate excess NOx emissions from Volkswagen vehicles. The program supports the state's clean air and climate goals, including those outlined in the Washington Clean Air Act, Washington GHG emission reduction limits (70.235 RCW), and the Washington Climate Commitment Act, demonstrating a clear strategic priority on environmental protection and sustainable transportation. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are diverse, encompassing businesses, non-profit organizations, investor-owned and municipal utilities, multi-unit/multi-family residential buildings, and various state, local, and tribal government entities in Washington State. The program seeks to impact these groups by increasing the availability of EV charging infrastructure where drivers typically spend one to four hours, thereby encouraging electric vehicle adoption. The impact goals are directly tied to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality across the state, contributing to a healthier environment for all. The program's priorities are multifaceted, focusing on accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, equipment, and vessels, promoting electrification technologies in public transportation fleets, and accelerating fleet turnover to cleaner vehicles. Other key priorities include achieving substantial additional emission reductions beyond what would naturally occur, ensuring cost-effectiveness in project implementation, and leveraging additional matching funds to maximize the program's reach and impact. These priorities reflect a strategic theory of change that by investing in accessible charging infrastructure and supporting electrification, the state can drive a significant shift towards cleaner transportation and achieve its environmental objectives. Expected outcomes and measurable results include a reduction in emissions from diesel engines, full mitigation of total, lifetime excess NOx emissions from specific Volkswagen vehicles, and a quantifiable increase in Level 2 EV charging access across the state. The program anticipates projects being completed within one year of grant execution. With a total of $3.52 million available, and projects eligible for up to $10,000 per plug at varying percentages based on project category, the grant aims to catalyze a significant expansion of charging infrastructure, contributing directly to the state’s objectives under the Washington State Clean Energy Fund and the Washington Clean Transportation and Healthy Air Goal.

The Oregon Arts Commission's Arts Build Communities program offers a one-year grant of $5,000 to arts and community-based organizations in Oregon, aiming to address local issues through arts-based solutions, with a focus on underserved communities and projects that integrate arts with community goals.

This funding is available to local governments to improve public infrastructure that supports new and expanding businesses, helping to create jobs and attract investment.

The Office of Adult Career Pathways, part of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, is offering grants to eligible small businesses in Minnesota to support Diversity and Inclusion training. This initiative aims to enhance these businesses' abilities to attract, hire, and retain people of color across various roles. The program emphasizes equity, innovation, and performance in its awarding criteria, focusing on training participants facing significant employment barriers, fostering an inclusive skilled workforce, and implementing innovative solutions to workforce challenges. Grants are available up to $1,425,000 each state fiscal year, with a maximum of $30,000 available per business for the biennium, limited to one award per biennium. Applications are accepted on a continual basis until funds are depleted, with no awards exceeding $1,425,000 before July 1, 2024.