Supplier Diversity Partnership Grant

The NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC), a collaborative of eight philanthropic organizations including JPMorgan Chase, M&T Bank, Principal Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Santander Bank, MetLife Foundation, BankUnited, and Capital One, is offering a grant opportunity through its 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP). This RFP, titled “Doing Business Together,” seeks to promote supplier diversity and equitable access to procurement opportunities for small businesses owned by historically excluded groups across the five boroughs of New York City. The initiative reflects the Collective’s broader mission to strengthen the local small business ecosystem through pooled grantmaking and a strong focus on equity and inclusion. The Collective's second RFP is focused on innovative solutions that address structural barriers in procurement, such as limited access to capital, bonding, insurance, readiness, and relationships with anchor institutions. Grants awarded through this opportunity will support nonprofit-led partnerships that aim to build capacity among diverse small business vendors and improve access to contracting opportunities. Proposals may target a range of solution areas including capital access, bonding and insurance, readiness and certification, capacity-building, outreach and networking, and data collection and benchmarking. These efforts must address procurement and supply chain challenges faced by Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian & Pacific Islander, women, and other historically excluded entrepreneurs. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, either independently recognized or fiscally sponsored, or governmental units as defined under the IRS Code. While only one organization may serve as the lead applicant per proposal, partner organizations—including small businesses, public agencies, or corporate buyers—may be part of multiple applications. The lead organization must be located in or primarily serve one or more of New York City’s boroughs: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, or Richmond. Funding from this grant cannot be used for direct lending, lobbying activities, or religious programs. Proposals that solely focus on policy or systems change will not be considered, though efforts to influence policy as a secondary objective are welcome. Applications open with the Eligibility Survey & Planning Grant RFP on September 4, 2024. A virtual applicant information session will be held on September 19, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. ET. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with the final deadline of October 16, 2024, at midnight EST. Finalist interviews will take place virtually between January 13–24, 2025. Funding decisions will be announced the week of February 12, 2025, with grant announcements and award disbursements finalized by March 2025. Grant awards will range between $100,000 and $250,000 and are structured as one-year partnership grants. Disbursements will occur in one or two installments and include interim and final reporting requirements. One award is expected per borough, though applicants serving multiple boroughs will also be considered. The Collective expresses a preference for lead organizations with leadership that reflects the diversity of the communities they serve. Awardees will participate in a yearlong learning cohort facilitated by the Collective to foster networking and knowledge-sharing among grantees. Applicants may submit questions to inquiries@nysmallbusinessfunders.org. In addition to the information session, a FAQ document will be published on the Collective’s website to address common applicant inquiries. The application portal, hosted on www.nysmallbusinessfunders.org, includes an eligibility survey, scoring rubric, application preview, and other supporting resources for interested applicants.