Grants for City or township governments - Business and Commerce

This program provides financial support to small businesses and nonprofits in Snohomish to help them recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant Name: DRI Main Street Facade Improvement Program Location: City of Syracuse, New York Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000 Duration: Not specified Details: The City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development is offering grants to support the redevelopment and improvement of commercial, mixed-use, and/or historic properties within the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) area. Funding is available for for-profit entities seeking to make building facade improvements. A total of $1.8 million has been allocated for this program, with a maximum award of up to $250,000 per project. Eligible applicants include property owners or those under contract to purchase property in the DRI area. Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. For more information, visit NBD website.

Grant Name: Technology Industry Grant Donor: City of Peoria, Illinois Type: Grant Deadline: Ongoing Grant Size: $10,000 - $25,000 Description: The Technology Industry Grant offers funding to technology-related businesses looking to establish or expand within the city of Peoria. Eligible industries include Agricultural Technology (AgTech), Biological Medical Technology (BioTech), Medical Technology (MedTech), and other technological advancements. Applicants should demonstrate established seed funding, a proof of function prototype, and a plan for further product development. The program aims to attract technology businesses, stimulate public and private investment, introduce new technology to the area, and support commercial space activity in business districts. Priority locations for funding include the Medical District, Central Business District, and West Main Street within the city boundaries. Eligible uses of the grant include lease or mortgage assistance, operational expense support, and other business costs related to the newly opened location. Small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees are eligible to apply if they meet all criteria outlined by the City of Peoria. For more information and application details, visit City of Peoria website.

City of Beaverton Small Project Grants 2023-2024 Oregon: The City of Beaverton is offering Small Project Grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to support new or urgent projects, with a focus on emerging artists, BIPOC and LGBTQ artists, students, and organizations new to grant-making. The program aims to promote cultural diversity, community collaboration, economic vitality, creativity and innovation, community identity and heritage preservation, and public spaces that promote health and wellbeing. Eligible expenses include planning and personnel costs, professional services, materials and supplies, and maintenance. Eligible applicants include individual artists or collectives, school groups within Beaverton city limits, individual students, and non-profits. Deadline for applications is 07/01/2024. For more information visit City of Beaverton website.

This grant provides financial support to Vermont-based nonprofits focused on youth development, economic independence for working adults, senior care, and community enhancement initiatives.

This program provides funding to local governments in Nebraska for transportation projects that create or retain jobs and attract private investment in the state.

City of Beaverton is offering Open Format Grants for 2023-2024, with a grant size ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. The grant aims to support individuals or organizations with needs not met by traditional funding programs, including studio, office, or venue rental; staff support; discreet projects; and strategic planning efforts. The program's goals align with Beaverton's Community Vision and prioritize cultural diversity, social equity, community collaboration, economic vitality, creativity and innovation, community identity and heritage preservation, and public space promotion. Funding requests may be up to $2,500 per applicant. Eligible applicants include individual artists, artist collectives, curators or arts administrators; non-profit organizations offering arts and culture programming; school groups within the city of Beaverton; and individual students. For more information, visit City of Beaverton website.

Grant Opportunity: 2024 Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grants – Massachusetts Donor: Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (MassCEC) State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/20/2024 Grant Size: $894,422 - Planning Grants: $20,000-$50,000 - Capacity Grants: $30,000-$150,000 Duration: 2 years Details: The grants aim to provide funding and technical assistance to organizations focused on supporting minority and women-owned businesses, individuals from environmental justice neighborhoods or low-income communities, members of tribes, underrepresented communities in the clean energy workforce, and current or former workers from the fossil fuel industry. The program seeks to expand access to career and business opportunities in climate-critical fields and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Goals: The program aims to grow Massachusetts’ clean energy workforce by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across economic opportunity categories. It seeks to produce a diverse bench of highly trained new workers and thriving minority and women-owned businesses. Funding Information: Total funding available is $894,422 for Planning and Capacity Grants. Eligibility Criteria: Community-based entities, post-secondary educational institutions, K-12 school districts, vocational schools offering a Career Technical Initiative evening program, for-profit entities such as training companies or trade associations, federally recognized and state-acknowledged tribes, workforce development organizations (nonprofit and for-profit), Massachusetts Workforce Investment Boards are eligible to apply as lead applicants. For more information visit MassCEC website.

City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility is offering the Safe Streets Mini Grant Program, providing grants of up to $75,000 for traffic calming improvements in residential neighborhoods across Tucson. The program aims to prioritize under-resourced areas and engage community members in reducing residential speeding and enhancing livability. Eligible applicants include neighborhood groups, community-based organizations, and businesses within Tucson city limits. The City anticipates awarding approximately $350,000 in the first year of the program and will work directly with awarded projects to design and implement traffic calming initiatives. For more information, visit City of Tucson DTM website. The City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility is now accepting applications for the new Safe Streets Mini Grant Program. The new program establishes an inclusive, community-led process to deliver traffic calming improvements to residential neighborhoods across the city, prioritizing under-resourced areas that could not otherwise fund their own traffic calming improvements via the existing Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. The new program is funded by the voter-approved Proposition 411 Tucson Delivers: Safe Streets Program, under the Systemwide Safety Improvements project category. Neighborhood safety improvements will include traffic circles, chicanes, speed humps, and other traffic calming features. To learn more about the application process, the requirements, and to complete an application, visit the website at https://tucsondelivers.tucsonaz.gov/pages/safe-streets-mini-grant-program. The goal of the program is to offer community members the opportunity to champion projects that reduce residential speeding and improve livability through a competitive selection process for funding and implementation. 3 Steps to Apply for Traffic Calming: Identify potential traffic calming locations-neighborhood streets with cut-through traffic, speeding, and other dangerous driving behavior have great potential. Application Review Process- Summary Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, as long as funds are available. Application review cycles will occur once the first year in February 2024. Program staff will evaluate the program at the end of the pilot year and will consider increasing the review frequency to occur two times a year (e.g. February and August) based on the volume of applications received in the first pilot year. If your application passes the first phase of the evaluation- the Eligibility Screen- you will be placed on the eligible list. DTM staff score the projects on this list using the prioritization criteria that are recommended for approval by the CSCC. Note: Even if your street meets all of the eligibility criteria and is on the list of potential projects, it still may not be selected for the final list of traffic calming projects. Funding for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program each year is dependent on the tax revenues each year, thus DTM can only select a handful of projects to construct. However, your street will remain on the list of potential projects the following year(s). Connect with neighbors- talk to neighbors and build support. Apply- City staff are here to help with an online or paper application. The application period begins on October 16th. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis, throughout the year, with the first round of projects awarded in the spring of 2024. Funding will be awarded based on need, feasibility, neighborhood support, and available funds. The City anticipates awarding around $350,000 to neighborhoods the first year of the program. The maximum funding amount per project is $75,000. Once awarded, the project team will work directly with neighbors to design and build traffic calming projects through a collaborative process. For further questions, contact Gabriela Barillas-Longoria at [email protected] or by calling 520-591-1606. About the Program The Safe Streets Mini-Grant Program establishes an inclusive, community-led process to deliver traffic calming improvements to residential neighborhoods across the city, prioritizing under-resourced areas that could not otherwise fund their own traffic calming improvements via the existing Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. The goal of the program is to offer community members the opportunity to champion projects that reduce residential speeding and improve livability through a competitive selection process for funding and implementation. City staff and the Complete Streets Coordinating Council (CSCC) will prioritize projects in areas of Tucson where there is a history of disinvestment or limited private investment.

For community and economic development projects. Awarded to approximately 25 recipients at up to $500,000 each. The Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov) is a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. The commission is a unique alliance composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a presidential appointee representing the federal government. Governor Lee serves on the board; the Governor’s Alternate for Tennessee is Brooxie Carlton, and the Program Manager is Brooxie Carlton. Through ARC, Tennessee is able to award grants each year for economic and community development projects in the 52 counties in middle and east Tennessee served by the ARC.

City of Ashland Business Beautification Grant Program 2023 – Oregon: The City of Ashland is offering the Business Beautification Grant to support private investment in renovating and rehabilitating existing lodging and commercial properties within Ashland City limits. The grant provides financial assistance through a fifty percent (50%) grant match to non-residential property owners for exterior cosmetic improvements, outdoor lighting upgrades, code violation alleviation, sidewalk and infrastructure installation, signage or awning installation, landscaping, outdoor seating installation, and removal of non-conforming or illegal site elements. Eligible applicants must be current property owners or tenants of non-residentially developed properties within City limits with no outstanding debt to the City. All beautification activities must comply with City building and zoning codes and be performed by a licensed general contractor or service provider. Applicants are required to submit a minimum of two quotes for the project and adhere to all building and land use codes as applicable. More information is available on the City of Ashland website.

The Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (VSBFA), part of the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, offers a range of financial programs to support the growth and expansion of businesses, not-for-profits, and economic development authorities within Virginia. These programs include direct loans to businesses and non-profits, credit enhancements for banks lending to these entities, bond financing for businesses and non-profits, and an equity incentive grant program to attract investments in small businesses. Over its 30+ year history, VSBFA has helped many Virginia businesses access the capital needed for expansion and job creation in the Commonwealth.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for solar and storage projects that benefit low- to moderate-income households in affordable housing across New York, helping to overcome barriers and promote equitable access to renewable energy.

The Little Haiti Revitalization Trust is launching the Small Business Grant Program to support economic growth and revitalization in Little Haiti, Miami. The Trust will oversee and facilitate the city's revitalization efforts in line with the Five-Year Consolidated Plan. The program aims to stimulate employment, business growth, and investment within the Little Haiti boundaries. Eligible businesses can receive up to $20,000 for commercial improvements or $10,000 for innovation improvements, with a match option available. Funding can be used for various commercial improvements such as lighting, roofing, signage, ADA compliance, landscaping, and more. To qualify for funding, businesses must meet specific criteria including registration with the State of Florida before January 1, 2021; possession of a City of Miami-issued Certificate of Use; current status with Business Tax Receipt payments; operation within Little Haiti boundaries; and compliance with financial obligations to the City of Miami. Preference will be given to businesses that align best with the grant program's objectives, legacy businesses operating for 7 or more years within Little Haiti boundaries, and those located in the downtown corridor on NE 2nd Ave between 54th – 71st street within Little Haiti boundaries. For more information and application details, visit Little Haiti Revitalization Trust website.

CDBG General Purpose Grants are available annually through a competitive application process to assist Washington State small cities, towns and counties in carrying out significant community and economic development projects that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons. The Washington State CDBG Program is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Examples of eligible General Purpose Grant activities include: Public facilities, such as water, wastewater, streets and sidewalks Community facilities, such as community centers, libraries, food banks and fire stations Local assistance programs such as housing rehabilitation CDBG Program Priorities: Financial need- Prioritizing applicants who do not have viable access to other funds/resources. Funding readiness- Prioritizing applicants who have secured all other funds. Funding efforts- Prioritizing applicants who have pursued other funding. Equity- Prioritizing applicants who have not recently received CDBG funding and who do not have open CDBG contracts for similar activities.

This program provides funding and support to municipalities and designated organizations in New York State to develop and improve large industrial sites, attracting major employers in key industries like semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing.

This program provides financial support to commercial property owners in McCordsville for improving the appearance and functionality of their buildings, fostering a vibrant business environment.

The Rockland Small Businesses Rescue Grant Program in New York offers funding to small businesses and micro-enterprises in Rockland County that have experienced revenue declines or unexpected operating cost deficits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible businesses include indoor arts, entertainment, and recreation; pet grooming, boarding, and walking; restaurants, eateries, food stands and trucks, bars, bakeries, cafes, breweries/wineries catering, delis; bookstores/stationary; housekeeping; fitness centers; florists; general retail; salons/spas; bicycle shops; and other consumer service firms. The grant covers expenses such as commercial or retail rent reimbursement (up to 3 months with no arrears), safety investments (PPE, cleaning supplies, UV disinfection equipment or services), hardware and software fees, credit card processing fees (difference of % increase), carriage fees, marketing fees (advertising and promotion), business enterprise certification fees, and operational supplies.

The City of Alhambra in California is offering a Small Business Assistance Grant Program to support local small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible businesses must either serve a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defined low- and moderate-income area within Alhambra or be owned by low- and moderate-income individuals.Groups of neighbors must find a host organization to sponsor the project and act as the project fiduciary. Applications are accepted year-round until funds are exhausted.

This grant provides financial support to Indiana-based charitable organizations focused on transforming the industrial workforce through education and training in various technical and leadership fields.