The Christmas Village Market Grant is a seasonal funding opportunity administered by the Philadelphia Department of Commerce in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Now in its sixth year, this initiative supports nonprofit organizations that assist low- to moderate-income vendors and emerging small businesses based in Philadelphia in participating in the city’s annual Christmas Village. The program is designed to address barriers faced by local entrepreneurs in accessing high-traffic sales opportunities during the holiday season.
The grant provides selected nonprofits with a booth at the Christmas Village in LOVE Park, a central Philadelphia public space, at no cost to the organization. The booth, valued at $15,500, will be used by participating vendors to sell tangible gift items such as handcrafted goods, ornaments, and crafts. The grant’s mission is to promote economic inclusion by offering underserved vendors a platform to reach a large consumer base during the November and December holiday season.
Eligibility for the grant is limited to registered nonprofit organizations with missions that include supporting vendors and emerging businesses. Applicants must demonstrate that they can identify and manage at least five Philadelphia-based vendors or microbusinesses that sell tangible goods. Service-based, food, or alcohol vendors are not eligible under this program. Organizations must also have participated in this grant program fewer than three times unless they are supporting new businesses that have never vended at the Christmas Village before.
Responsibilities of selected organizations include staffing and managing the booth, ensuring proper merchandising, facilitating vendor schedules, offering technical assistance, and reporting vendor sales data to the Department of Commerce. Priority is given to organizations that commit to promoting and selling inventory from all selected vendors throughout the duration of the market, which runs from November 22 through December 24, 2025.
In addition to the booth, applicants may request up to $3,000 in supplementary funding. These funds must be justified through a detailed budget and can be used to enhance booth presentation and operation—such as staffing, fixtures, equipment, and inventory support. However, funds may not be used for insurance, inventory purchases, or fees covered by other programs.
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. Award notifications are expected by the end of September. Questions regarding the program can be directed to Nicole Marcote at the Philadelphia Department of Commerce via email at Nicole.Marcote@phila.gov.
