Pennsylvania Business and Commerce Grants

Anchor Building Program provides funding to enable local governments, 501(c)3 non-profits, and municipal authorities to strengthen a community, neighborhood, or commercial district by redeveloping, enhancing, and preserving an underutilized or vacant building that has the potential to serve as a catalyst for greater investment and commercial or social activity. Donor Name: Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) State: Pennsylvania County: Erie County (PA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Anchor buildings are most often historic buildings located in the heart of the community, and possess intrinsic historical, architectural, and/or cultural qualities that make places special or unique. Similarly, these buildings can be adaptively re-used due to the quality of original construction, location, and/or suitability for new uses. Unfortunately, communities find that these older buildings are difficult to re-use due to construction costs relative to modern building code requirements, lack of financial resources, or low appraisal values. Goals of the Program To adaptively re-use historically, culturally, architecturally, and/or socially significant buildings. To leverage private investment and create jobs. To support small businesses and enhance the local tax base. To bridge the funding gap common with older building re-use. Funding Information Minimum request of $25,000 per application. Up to $100,000 awarded per application. Grant contracts for Anchor Building funding shall be for a period of 24 months. Eligibility Criteria Applicant is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3), municipality, or a municipal authority. Applicant’s headquarters is located in Erie County. Applicant is in good standing with the IRS and state and local taxing bodies. Applicant is in good standing with ECGRA’s reporting requirements to date. Applicant must be current in payment of real estate taxes. For more information, visit ECGRA.

This program provides funding to Pennsylvania school districts, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to help them transition to cleaner transportation through projects like purchasing alternative fuel vehicles and installing refueling equipment.

The UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge, powered by Innovation Works and funded by the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, creates cross-sector partnerships to solve some of community’s most pressing problems. Donor Name: Innovation Works State: Pennsylvania County: Allegheny County (PA), Armstrong County (PA), Beaver County (PA), Butler County (PA), Fayette County (PA), Greene County (PA), Indiana County (PA), Lawrence County (PA), Washington County (PA), Westmoreland County (PA) Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes Deadline: 07/08/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge, an annual competition to promote entrepreneurship that makes a lasting community impact in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Since its founding in 2015, the UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge has allocated more than $3.1 million in investments, grants, and educational assistance to local nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and other participants. Prize Information The top three finalists will receive a combined $300,000 in prize monies and accelerator assistance to launch or expand startups using technology to address social inequities. First Place: $125,000. Second Place: $100,000. Third Place: $75,000. Eligibility Criteria You must be 18 years old or older The submitting nonprofit, business, or individual must be based in one of these counties in Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, or Westmoreland. The startup’s impact must also be in one of these counties. Must ensure that their participation does not violate their employer’s policies or procedures or any other third-party rights or obligations (e.g. non-competition agreements). The applicant company leaders or individual and their immediate family members must not be employed by or affiliated with BNY Mellon, Innovation Works, or any of their/the parent and affiliate companies. Have not received funding of $50,000 or more in previous UpPrize cycles. For more information, visit UpPrize.

This program provides funding to support projects that promote business retention, expansion, and attraction by marketing the state as an investment destination and highlighting regional assets.

Erie Arts and Culture is partnering with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to help creative entrepreneurs and their businesses. Donor Name: Erie Arts and Culture State: Pennsylvania County: Crawford County (PA), Erie County (PA), Lawrence County (PA), Mercer County (PA), Venango County (PA), Warren County (PA) Type of Grant: Program Deadline: 05/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program Description and Purpose This program is designed to pair access to existing small business consulting services with financial resources for creative entrepreneurs who aspire to start their own for-profit business or who operate an existing for-profit micro business. Creative entrepreneurs are invaluable assets to communities. They lead innovation, deliver creative products and services, generate economic opportunity, and build community identity. Assisting creative entrepreneurs is part of the pathway to recovery and increased opportunity within a rapidly changing economic environment. Additionally, this program advances and prioritizes the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts’ overarching value of diversity, equity, and inclusion and prioritize investment in creative entrepreneurs who identify as Black, Indigenous, or persons of color (BIPOC) or those located in and whose work benefits low-income communities as defined under federal guidelines. For the purpose of the Program, low-income communities are those where the poverty rate is greater than or equal to 20% or the median family income is less than or equal to 80% of the area median income. Funding Information Ranges from $500 – $2,000. Eligible Uses of funds Funds must support business formation or development. Eligible uses of funds include: Professional fees for workshops, consultants, and career coaching. Participation in events, trade shows, festivals, etc. that offer access to audience and revenue generation potential. Business development fees for courses or seminars for business skills. Research and development. Marketing and promotion. Development or upgrades to technology related to business practices. Studio/rehearsal/retail space rent. Reasonable fees for supporting/collaborating artists. Purchase of supplies and/or equipment. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants must be: At least 18 years of age and has been a resident of Pennsylvania for at least twelve months preceding the CEAP application The applicant is a creative entrepreneur intending to form or operate an eligible creative business as defined in the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program (CEAP) Guidelines Creative entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the Creative Entrepreneurs Accelerator Program once every three years. Non-profit organizations are not eligible for funds through this program. Be a creative entrepreneur intending to form a business or operating a business in Pennsylvania within one or more of the following creative industry areas: Marketing – Advertising and marketing agencies and professionals Architecture – Architecture firms and architects Visual Arts & Crafts – Galleries, artists, artisans, and makers Design – Product, interior, graphic, and fashion design firms and designers Film & Media – Film, video, animation, television, and radio businesses Digital Games – Companies, programmers, and individuals producing games Music & Entertainment – Producers, venues, musicians, and performers Publishing – Print or electronic businesses and content creators, editors, and writers For more information, visit Erie Arts and Culture.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture offers Simplified Equipment-Only Grants under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, aimed at strengthening food system infrastructure. These grants provide financial support solely for equipment purchases necessary for food production and processing. Each grant ranges from $10,000 to $100,000 and does not require cost-sharing or matching. Recipients must substantiate equipment costs through documentation such as contracts or quotes. The program emphasizes enhancing the capabilities of small and mid-size producers and benefits diverse groups including underserved and veteran farmers. Projects must be completed between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026.

The Infrastructure Grants, part of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, aim to enhance the middle of the food supply chain through improved aggregation points, food processing infrastructure, and storage facilities. This grant supports projects that upgrade equipment, facilitate transition to licensed spaces, and expand storage capacities to boost local food production. Priority is given to projects that benefit underserved and veteran farmers, and socially disadvantaged individuals. Funding is prioritized for needs such as food hubs, cooperative developments, and increased cold storage, especially in urban areas.

The Clean Water Cumberland is now accepting applications for the Clean Water Grant Program (CWGP). Donor Name: County of Cumberland State: Pennsylvania County: Cumberland County (PA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  06/14/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: The CWGP provides financial support for “shovel-ready” initiatives that aim to enhance local water quality in Cumberland County. Program Objectives  The objectives of the CWGP are: Maximize the impact of limited pollution reduction funding by investing in priority water quality projects. Develop a water quality project backlog that can help leverage additional government and nonprofit funding. Pursue multifaceted pollution reduction strategies across a variety of water quality stakeholders. Accelerate progress toward the county’s pollution reduction goals through activities of other water quality stakeholders. Institutionalize an annual project identification process that can be integrated into county CAP development plans. Funding Information Annual program funding is variable and dependent upon the level of federal, state, corporate and nonprofit sources secured by the county. It is anticipated that approximately $500,000 will be available for subawards in 2025. There is no minimum or maximum grant award amount. There is no cash match requirement, however, projects with local match will receive higher priority consideration in the evaluation process. All funding decisions are at the sole discretion of Cumberland County and contingent upon the approval of PADEP. Grant Period Period of Grant Performance: March 2025-December 2025. Eligible Applicants Eligible CWGP applicants are limited to the following groups: Non-profit 501(c) organizations, Municipal governments, Educational institutions, Businesses with headquarters located within Cumberland County, Other organizations as deemed eligible by the county. For more information, visit County of Cumberland.

The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the Beautification Grant Program. Donor Name: Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau State: Pennsylvania County: Carbon County (PA), Monroe County (PA), Pike County (PA), Wayne County (PA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/06/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Grant dollars will help fund a variety of projects intended to support and enhance the quality of life in communities throughout the Pocono Mountains. Funding Information Grant cap request: $20,000.00. Uses of funds Grant funds may be used to support projects that: Beautify outdoor areas surrounding local hospitality and tourism businesses throughout the cities, boroughs, and townships in Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Carbon Counties. Improve existing gateways/signage. Improve beautification and facades throughout the cities, boroughs, and townships. Eligible Projects  Eligible projects may include but are not limited to: Landscaping, outdoor seating, planters, trash cans, benches, recycling programs, trash removal, removal of overgrown weeds/brush/trees, upgrade of signage and facades. Eligibility Criteria  Local government including, but not limited to, cities, boroughs, and townships. Municipal and redevelopment authorities and agencies. For more information, visit PMVB.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is currently accepting applications for grant projects under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program (RFSI). Donor Name: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture State: Pennsylvania County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The RFSI program will transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers, and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. To be more resilient, the food system of the future needs to be more diversified, distributed, and local. Funding Priorities The USDA encourages projects that benefit underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran producers, and processors and other middle of the supply chain businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will prioritize funding projects that pertain to the following gaps identified in the middle of the food supply chain in Pennsylvania. Aggregation Points – Aggregation points, include food hubs or farmer cooperatives to help individual producers fulfill bigger orders while saving costs on storage, packaging, and distribution. Food Processing Infrastructure – As Pennsylvanian food processors look to expand their production capacities by adding product types, increasing production volumes, or increasing packaging and labeling capacities for retail product lines, they need to upgrade equipment and often need to move to a licensed space outside of their homes. Food processing infrastructure also includes large-scale commercial equipment. Storage – In Pennsylvania, more storage is needed to hold produce to be washed and distributed. Limited cold storage is available in urban areas. More storage is also needed to segregate and supply identity preserved grains, whole grains, and dry bean for human consumption to processing plants in Pennsylvania. Funding Information Simplified Equipment-Only Grants will range in value from a minimum award of $10,000 and a maximum award of $100,000 and do not require cost sharing or matching. The Simplified Equipment-Only Grant is a fixed price grant, meaning it will fund only equipment purchases (and not associated facility upgrades, staffing, or other costs), and the amount awarded will be equal to the cost of the equipment up to $100,000. Funds will be awarded no earlier than July 1, 2024, and projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. Eligibility Criteria  The following are eligible to apply for grants under the Program: Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors. Nonprofit organizations operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. For-profit entities operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards. Local government entities operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Tribal governments operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Institutions such as schools, universities or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or investing in equipment that will benefit multiple producers’ middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. For-profit entities must meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards matched to industries described in the North American Industry Classification System. Applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned and applicants’ facilities must be physically located within this Commonwealth. Applicants doing business along the Commonwealth’s border should only apply in one state to avoid duplication of Federal funds. For more information, visit PDA.

The Department of Commerce launched the PHL Made Grant, a fund that contributes to the growth of manufacturing companies located in Philadelphia and promotes innovation in the industry. Donor Name: City of Philadelphia State: Pennsylvania City: Philadelphia Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/04/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: For the purpose of this grant program, the manufacturing industry is defined as companies engaged in the production of goods using tools, labor, and machinery. This includes but is not limited to companies producing consumer goods, industrial goods and medical devices. Funding Information Applicants can apply for a matching grant award amount of up to $30,000 per company. Eligibility Criteria  Company must be located in Philadelphia. Company must have been in operation for at least one year. Company must be engaged in the manufacturing of goods. Company must have funds to match grant requested. Funding Consideration   Companies that have a clear plan for how they will use the grant funds to improve their business operations, increase efficiency, and/or bring new products to market. Companies that maintain and/or create jobs with a commitment to hiring Philadelphia residents. Past PHL Made Grant awardees are eligible to apply if they have not received over $10,000 in PHL Made Grant funds in the last three years. For more information, visit City of Philadelphia.

This program provides funding to expand high-speed internet access in underserved areas of Pennsylvania, targeting households and businesses lacking adequate broadband service.

This funding opportunity assists communities in developing a portfolio of ready sites to attract and support growing businesses, with loans available specifically for private developers.

This funding provides financial support to Pennsylvania counties, cities, and local governments to aid in COVID-19 response, economic recovery, and public health improvements.

This program provides funding to support proactive engagement with local businesses in Pennsylvania, helping them to retain and expand by fostering strong relationships with economic and workforce development partners.

This funding supports projects in the Appalachian Region that create jobs, improve infrastructure, enhance education and health, and strengthen community development.

The General Appropriation Act of 2020 (1A of 2020) and the Supplement to the General Appropriation Act of 2020 (Act 17A of 2020) together appropriated a combined total of $5,000,000 to establish the State Facility Closure Transition Program (SFCTP). The SFCTP is intended to ensure adequate community support following the closure of commonwealth facilities in directly impacted and contiguous counties. Financial Info: The General Appropriation Act of 2020 (1A of 2020) and the Supplement to the General Appropriation Act of 2020 (Act 17A of 2020) together appropriated a combined total of $5,000,000 to establish the State Facility Closure Transition Program (SFCTP). The SFCTP is intended to ensure adequate community support following the closure of commonwealth facilities in directly impacted and contiguous counties.

This funding is designed to assist state and local governments in covering necessary expenses related to the COVID-19 public health emergency that were not included in their previous budgets.

This funding initiative provides financial support and business expertise to early-stage life science and biotechnology companies in Pennsylvania to foster innovation and job creation in the industry.

This program provides funding to address the environmental and safety risks posed by abandoned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania.