Grants for Small businesses - Workforce Development

This program provides financial support and resources to help Black-owned businesses grow, acquire customers, and succeed on Amazon's platform through education, mentorship, and expert guidance.

This program provides funding and support to small businesses in Pennsylvania that are historically disadvantaged, helping them access capital and improve their participation in public contracts.

This program provides financial support and mentorship to diverse-led small businesses in Texas, helping them create jobs and grow in underserved communities.

This funding opportunity supports organizations that partner with startups to advance and scale innovative clean energy technologies in Massachusetts, helping them navigate challenges to achieve commercial success.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations in New Jersey to enhance digital literacy and access to training for low-income adults receiving public assistance benefits.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering the Manufacturing Retention Grant Program. This program is designed to help manufacturing companies maintain their operational presence within Illinois. Its core mission is to encourage businesses to invest in their workforce, facilities, equipment, technologies, and infrastructure, thereby securing existing jobs and fostering economic stability in the state. The program is supported through the Enterprise Fund, administered by DCEO, which typically funds a broad range of economic development projects. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are private for-profit business entities that operate a major manufacturing complex in Bushnell, Illinois, specifically within McDonough County. These companies must have less than 1,000 employees and extensive experience in tool manufacturing. A key eligibility criterion is the requirement to have acquired a tool manufacturing firm in McDonough County with a minimum of 100 full-time equivalent employees. The grant's impact goal is to retain these companies' manufacturing campuses at operating production levels that support at least 100 employees at the Bushnell site. The program prioritizes job retention in Illinois through various investments. Eligible expenses encompass employee payroll for existing employees (including backpay incurred from May 14, 2024), invoices for services, training expenses for existing employees, and significant capital improvements. These improvements include refurbishment or replacement of machinery, equipment, and tooling (e.g., forging hammers, Swiss lathes), facility repairs (e.g., roof repair, electrical upgrades), productivity and innovation initiatives (e.g., robotics reprogramming, induction heat furnaces), and the replenishment of inventory to maintain standard stocking levels for daily production. The expected outcome of the Manufacturing Retention Grant Program is the successful retention of manufacturing operations and a minimum employment level of 100 employees at the Bushnell site. Measurable results will be directly tied to the utilization of the $5,000,000 total funding, with a performance period spanning from September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2026. The DCEO's strategic priority, as evidenced by this program, is to safeguard manufacturing jobs and foster a robust economic environment within Illinois, aligning with a theory of change that posits direct investment in established manufacturing entities will lead to sustained employment and economic growth.

This program provides financial assistance to local businesses and property owners in North Sacramento to improve storefronts, purchase equipment, and restore vacant buildings, particularly those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This grant provides financial support to organizations in New Mexico that empower socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, particularly in underserved and rural areas, through capacity-building services and resources.

This program provides up to $30,000 in marketing support to small businesses in designated low-income areas of New Orleans to help them grow and increase their visibility.

This program provides financial assistance to small business and commercial property owners in Decatur, Georgia, to improve the exteriors of their buildings and enhance the community's aesthetic appeal.

This funding opportunity supports initiatives that inspire diverse school-aged children to pursue careers in oral health, addressing workforce shortages and raising awareness about various oral health professions.

This grant provides financial support to local businesses in Lake County, Ohio, for infrastructure improvements, innovative projects, and employee training, fostering economic growth in the community.

This funding initiative provides financial support to New Jersey employers for hiring college students and recent graduates as paid interns, fostering valuable work experience and skill development in preparation for the modern job market.

This program provides funding to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan's specialty crop producers through projects focused on marketing, research, education, and sustainability.

This program provides $50,000 grants to early-stage North Carolina startups with innovative concepts and a strong market potential, along with mentorship and resources to accelerate their growth.

This funding initiative provides financial assistance to disadvantaged individuals looking to start or grow a business in the beef value chain in Texas or Oklahoma.

This funding opportunity supports innovative programs that improve college readiness, enrollment, and completion in Michigan communities, particularly those connected to Local College Access Networks.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for organizations to develop training programs that prepare workers for energy efficiency jobs in small buildings, helping to meet upcoming energy performance standards in Washington, D.C.

This program provides funding and support for projects in Massachusetts that focus on developing clean energy and climate technologies to address environmental challenges and promote economic growth.

This program provides funding to organizations that assist socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and very small businesses in New York in becoming ready for venture capital investment.