Alabama Business and Commerce Grants

This funding initiative provides financial support to local communities in the Appalachian Region for projects that enhance critical infrastructure and promote business and workforce development.

This initiative provides funding to support large-scale economic development projects across the Appalachian region, focusing on workforce development, business growth, infrastructure improvements, and community capacity building.

This initiative provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and Tribal governments in coal-impacted communities to develop and scale innovative economic projects that create job opportunities and foster local economic transformation.

This grant provides financial support to Black entrepreneurs who are positively impacting their communities, helping them grow and sustain their businesses.

This program provides free support and resources to early-stage startups led by female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color, helping them refine their business models and prepare for investment opportunities.

This funding opportunity provides up to $5,000 for neighborhood groups in Montgomery County to implement projects that enhance community pride and improve quality of life through collaboration with local government.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in the Gulf South to promote affordable housing and community resilience in underserved areas through initiatives like first-time homebuyer assistance and home rehabilitation.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that develop innovative resources and services to help adults in the middle or late stages of their careers with reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation, particularly those who are unemployed or underemployed.

Applicants are invited to apply for the 2025 gBETA Huntsville Accelerator Program. Donor Name: gener8tor State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Program Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/20/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. gBETA runs multiple times every year in cities across the United States. Up to five companies from a range of verticals are selected from a competitive applicant pool to participate in the free seven-week program. Participating companies receive: Individualized coaching and mentorship from the team of nationally ranked accelerator gener8tor on company growth and investor readiness Weekly “Lunch & Learns” and “Mentor Swarms” Investor and accelerator pitches $1M+ in deals and perks from vendors like IBM Cloud, Rackspace, Amazon, Paypal, Zendesk, Hubspot and Microsoft Ongoing post-program support and gener8tor community involvement and offerings gBETA’s goal is that graduates will go on to participate in an investment accelerator or raise a seed round. Eligibility Criteria for gBETA Huntsville You’re based in Alabama gBETA Huntsville is an accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots in Alabama. You’re Committed While they don’t expect you to be full-time on your business yet, programming is about a five-hour commitment each week, and they expect that you will be spending additional time working on your business each week outside of the program. You’re Ready to Grow gBETA companies range from “I have an idea” to “I have significant revenue.” Although most gBETA companies are post-product, pre-scale, as long as you are ready to make use of coaching on customer growth and investor readiness, mentor meetings, and investor and accelerator pitches, they’re ready for you! For more information, visit gener8tor.

The Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program is designed to award funds to for-profit, Alabama-based companies that have been granted Federal Small Business Innovation Research Program or Federal Small Business Technology Transfer Program (the “Federal SBIR/STTR Program”) Phase I or Phase II awards. Donor Name: Innovate Alabama State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 07/02/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Federal SBIR/STTR Program encourages innovative small businesses to engage in research that has the potential for technological innovation and commercialization. Increase the number and types of applications for the Federal SBIR/STTR Program submitted by Alabama-based small businesses conducting research and technology development. Help Alabama companies bridge the funding gap period between the final Phase I payment and the first Phase II payment in the Federal SBIR/STTR Program. Encourage the establishment and growth of high-quality companies committed to the overall economic development of Alabama and to supporting entrepreneurship and innovation across the State. Encourage the establishment of high-wage jobs in Alabama in both moderately and highly skilled occupations. Increase the commercial success of Alabama SBIR/STTR projects. Funding Information Phase I Awards Innovate Alabama may grant available funds to applicants that received funding under Phase 1 of the Federal SBIR/STTR Program in amounts not to exceed the lesser of either: 50% of the award made to the applicant under Phase I of the Federal SBIR/STTR Program; or $100,000.00. Phase II Awards Innovate Alabama may grant available funds to applicants that received funding under Phase II of the Federal SBIR/STTR Program in amounts not to exceed the lesser of either: 50% of the award made to the applicant under Phase II of the Federal SBIR/STTR Program; or $250,000.00. Uses of Funds Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant recipients can utilize these funds to support and grow their businesses, through: Highly Skilled New Hires Business Plan Development Product Testing Market Research Intellectual Property Protection Technical Work Eligibility Requirements The applicant must meet all requirements under the Federal SBIR/STTR Program at the time of their application for the Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program.  The applicant must meet the following requirements at the time their application for the Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program is made, or within a reasonable time before the distribution of any award (in the sole discretion of Innovate Alabama) and for five years after any award is made under such program Within 12 months after receipt of the grant:  The applicant must have its primary place of business in Alabama;  The majority of the applicant’s top executives must live in Alabama as their place of residence; and At least a majority of the applicant’s employees must live in Alabama as their place of residence. The applicant must be a participant in the E-Verify program. As a part of implementing this Innovate Alabama Supplemental Grant Program, any applicant who was awarded Phase I or Phase II funding under the Federal SBIR/STTR Program that was active as of July 1, 2023, or thereafter, is eligible to apply at this time. Once a supplemental award has been made for a Phase I or Phase II of an underlying SBIR/STTR, an application for additional funds for that same phase award may not be requested. For more information visit Innovate Alabama.

Education Grants allow applicants to conduct education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community, and promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, ag diversification, and best management practices. Donor Name: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement Deadline: 08/02/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Education Grants are open to academic institutions and organizations, such as non-profits and non-governmental organizations, who are interested in conducting education and outreach activities for the benefit of the greater sustainable ag community, and promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, agricultural diversification, and best management practices. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 1890 land-grant university faculty/extension cooperators are especially encouraged to apply for this grant for their education and outreach activities. SSARE also considers proposals from organizations/institutions whose projects involve farmers from indigenous agriculture that produces products for community food systems. These enterprises may be eligible where the production activity has an annual value of less than $1,000, even if products are not sold due to cultural factors. Education Grants should focus on a topic area of sustainable agriculture relevance that meets SARE’s program goals. In addition, the proposed project should comprise education/outreach efforts/activities that support the research/education foundation of the institution/organization, and must clearly articulate how those education/outreach efforts/activities will be implemented and evaluated. Examples of Education Grant projects can include one or more of the following, but are not limited to: Experiential (Demonstrations, on-farm tours, field days, workshops, trainings, case studies); Integrative (Conferences, seminars, course curriculum) Reinforcement (Fact sheets, bulletins, books, manuals, videos, online technologies, guidebooks) SARE encourages proposals on quality of life topics that focus on the social health of a farming system. These can include, but are not limited to: Heirs property; Farmers’ markets; food hubs; locavores; CSAs; Local/regional processing/slaughter; Food sheds and food circles; Direct marketing and value-added; Beyond organics value chains; Farm to School/Institution; Civic agriculture, agritourism; Denominations of origin/geographic indications; Non-GMO movement, Slow Food, chef collaboratives; Urban ag systems; Food policy councils, governance structures; and Local/regional certification/branding. Funding Information Education Grant project maximums are $50,000, limited to two (2) years. Education Grants are paid by reimbursement of allowable project expenses. Who can apply? Researchers from public and private institutions, such as 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities or other colleges and universities; government agencies, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service or USDA-ARS; non-governmental organizations; and community-based organizations. Education Grants strictly fund education and outreach activities related to sustainable agriculture whose outcomes are intended to benefit farmers and farming communities. There is no research involved in these grant projects. Southern SARE accepts proposals from applicants in the Southern region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grant Requirements  Education Grant proposals must meet the following basic requirements in order to be considered for funding: Project outcomes must focus on developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing systems toward sustainable agriculture. The project must clearly articulate what is being taught, to whom and how the project will accomplish those goals. The results must be realistic, acceptable to farmers, logical, and capable of leading to the actions and benefits described in the proposal. For farmers involved in your project, the primary occupation is farming/ranching or part-time farming. Producers run their farm alone or with family or partners and have a least $1,000 of documented annual income from the operation, as defined by USDA. SSARE also considers proposals with farmers from indigenous agriculture that produces products for community food systems. These enterprises may be eligible where the production activity has an annual value of less than $1,000, but products are not sold due to cultural factors. For more information, visit Southern SARE.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals within the Cumberland Plateau region that will help accelerate the restoration and enhancement of critical forest, grassland, and freshwater habitats. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/01/2024 Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million Grant Duration: 4 Years Details: NFWF seeks to increase the voluntary adoption of conservation practices on working agricultural lands in the region to benefit wildlife and improve soil health, water quantity and quality, and carbon sequestration. Funding is provided by the USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Altria Group, Cargill and Nestlé and International Paper’s Forestland Stewards Partnership. Approximately $2.8 million is expected to be available for grants this funding cycle. Program Strategies Restoring Previously Mined Lands Increasing Adoption of Conservation Practices on Grazing Lands Increasing Adoption of Conservation Practices on Cropland Establishing, Enhancing and Maintaining Forest Habitats Restoring Instream Habitats to Support Aquatic Species Helping Landowners – Expanding and Coordinating Technical Assistance and Outreach Funding Information The Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund anticipates awarding approximately $2.8 million in grants in 2024. Grant awards are expected to range from $250,000 to $750,000.  Project Period Anticipated completion time for funded projects typically will be 24-48 months. Geographic Focus Projects within the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia are eligible with preference given to projects located within the identified focal areas.  Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions. Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations. U.S. Federal agencies are encouraged to partner with applicants but are not eligible to submit an application. For more information, visit NFWF.

This program provides financial support to LGBTQ+-owned and allied restaurants, cafes, and bars to help them thrive and recover from challenges.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks proposals to voluntarily conserve aquatic habitat in southeastern United States and Texas. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/18/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: The priorities of the Southeast Aquatics Fund are informed by the aquatic goals and strategies of the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan, which was adopted by the NFWF Board of Directors in 2018 (updated 2023). To the extent possible, proposals should describe how activities will advance specific goals and objectives of the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan and/or other relevant conservation plans. The plan seeks to conserve the extraordinary biodiversity found across the southeast. It prioritizes work in northern Alabama and Georgia due to measurement and monitoring constraints. It utilizes a suite of aquatic species as indicators of healthy aquatic habitat in prioritized watersheds. Because of the priority given to this subregion, funding is available for a wide range of activities in the Conasauga River (GA) and Locust Fork and Middle Coosa (AL) watersheds. Priority will be given to projects that would benefit the following focal species: Conasauga River – Endemic and Native Fishes (Alabama shiner, banded sculpin, blue shiner, bridled darter, Coosa darter, Coosa shiner, Greenbreast darter, tricolor shiner and trispot darter). Middle Coosa – Trispot darter Funding Information Approximately $8.45 million is available in grant funding in 2024. Grant awards are expected to range from $150,000 to $500,000, depending on the overall scale and duration of the project. Project Period Anticipated completion time for funded projects typically will be 24–36 months following finalization of a grant agreement.  Geographic Scope Grants will be made in specific geographies or river basins in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and Texas.  Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions. Applicants must comply with or be exempted from federal single audit requirements. Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations. U.S. Federal agencies are encouraged to partner with applicants but are not eligible to apply. For more information, visit NFWF.

The Daniel Foundation of Alabama is seeking applications for its Community Needs Grants. Donor Name: The Daniel Foundation of Alabama State: Alabama County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/22/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Foundation supports programs providing for an individual’s basic needs, such as access to food, clothing and adequate housing. Emphasis is placed on classes and programs which help individuals better navigate and manage their circumstances, leading to enhanced job opportunities and outcomes for an improved life for Alabama’s individuals and families. By connecting with rural communities and non-profit organizations, they desire to support communities and spark revitalization in Alabama’s richly diverse rural areas. All of this work is connected to the availability and development of leaders who have the vision and capacity to address these challenges. Priorities Access to food, clothing and adequate housing Programs that offer an effective approach to job training and life skills Rural community revitalization Projects that meet the needs of Alabama’s veterans Leadership programs demonstrating success in developing leaders for the nonprofit, government and business sectors The foundation does not fund Individuals Scholarships Sponsorships for fundraising events Organizations outside of Alabama For more information, visit The Daniel Foundation of Alabama.

The 2024 States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP), announced by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), seeks applications for grants to target federal resources toward communities in the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. With a focus on economically distressed counties and parishes, SEDAP aims to invest in community-based and regional projects across four congressionally mandated funding categories: basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, business development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, and workforce development. The program is designed to encourage job creation, regional collaboration, and funding partnerships, leveraging a total of $16,930,642, allocated across the eight-state DRA region with awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 depending on project type and application score.

This program provides funding to local governments for the development of public access roads and bridges that support new industrial investments and job creation.

This program provides funding to local governments for the development of public access roads and bridges that support new industrial investments and job creation.