Advantage Maryland (MEDAAF)

The North Tampa Bay Chamber is proud to partner with the Glazer Family—owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—to deliver critical relief funding to small businesses across Tampa Bay and West Central Florida. In response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Glazer Family committed $2 million in recovery funding, including $1 million dedicated specifically to small businesses. Through multiple funding rounds, hundreds of local businesses have already received support to help them rebuild, recover, and move forward. This program is administered in partnership with regional chambers, including the North Tampa Bay Chamber and seven other Tampa Bay–area chambers.

The Downtown St. Louis Pop-Up Retail Program provides aspiring and existing business owners with grants of up to $15,000 to activate short-term pop-up retail shops in vacant storefronts in the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods of St. Louis. Administered by Greater St. Louis, Inc. with support from the St. Louis Development Corporation, the program is designed to reduce barriers to entry for business owners while increasing street vibrancy, safety, and economic health through active storefronts, with the broader goal of fostering business development and potential permanent tenancy in these locations. The grant covers up to six months of expenses associated with the pop-up activation, including monthly rent, utilities, labor, maintenance of the space during occupancy, and general liability insurance. Eligible applicants include prospective tenants considering opening a pop-up location in Downtown or Downtown West, as well as current tenants in those neighborhoods considering opening a second location as a pop-up. All applicants must have the consent of their current or prospective landlord, and Greater St. Louis, Inc. may help identify a suitable space and willing property owner for applicants who have not yet secured one. Successful applicants are expected to propose concepts that appeal to a diverse customer base, complement surrounding businesses, and provide memorable experiences for customers and passersby.

The Venture Pitch assistance micro-grant can reimburse up to $5000, spent on hiring an independent, third party to assist in the creation of an investor pitch deck, assemble a researched list of at least 5 investors to contact that includes the investor profile, the investment criteria, their portfolio, news releases of companies they invested in and create an advanced and well thought out financial and P&L model with market size, costs, pricing, sales key assumptions. To be eligible for this grant, applicants must have received a Phase I or Phase II SBIR/STTR award.

The Harris County Harris Hub program is a targeted investment in the recovery and development of Harris County’s small businesses. Harris Hub provides funding to Business Support Organizations (BSOs) to increase their capacity to provide in-depth and culturally competent technical assistance to small and microenterprises affected by the COVID19 pandemic. Harris County is working with vendors BakerRipley, ROADS Consulting, and FORWARD Platform to provide small business owners with individualized, tailored technical assistance in the areas of marketing, financial management, hiring, and more. This program is designed to target underserved small businesses, including those owned by women, veterans and persons of color. Each eligible small business can receive up to 30 hours of technical assistance. Small businesses that complete 15 hours of technical assistance in the program are eligible for a $5,000 grant (depending on available grant funding).

The Salt Lake City Business Stabilization Grant provides Salt Lake City small businesses with reimbursement grants of up to $3,500 per property per year to help pay for repairs to physical damage on the exterior of their business property. Administered by the Salt Lake City Housing Stability Division and funded through federal grant dollars, the program is designed to help small businesses stabilize after property damage and remain operational in their commercial locations. Awards are issued on a first-come, first-served basis, with the full application-to-payment process typically taking one to two months. Eligible damages include repairs to broken windows, exterior lights, fencing, power lines, and other physical damage to the exterior of the business property. Insurance deductibles also qualify. The damage must have occurred no more than 120 days before the application date, repairs must already be completed at the time of application, and applicants must provide photographic proof of the damage and repairs alongside receipts or invoices demonstrating payment. Costs already covered by insurance are not eligible for reimbursement (the grant covers only remaining out-of-pocket costs). Graffiti removal, interior damages, vehicle damages, stolen goods costs, new security features, home-based businesses, and short-term or long-term rental properties are not eligible. To qualify, businesses must be located within the program's designated annual target area (both sides of border streets qualify), hold an active Salt Lake City business license, and meet the program's definition of a small business (three locations or fewer, no more than 50 full-time equivalent employees, and independently owned rather than a franchise or chain). Tenant businesses must provide a letter of support from the property owner. Applicants must submit their application through the city's Neighborly online portal along with required documents including photographs, receipts, insurance policy and claim information, a completed W-9, and proof of business or property ownership. Applications are reviewed for eligibility within about two weeks. Approved recipients are set up as contractors in the city's financial system and receive their reimbursement check by mail, typically within another two to three weeks.