Appleton Business Grants

The City of Framingham is accepting applications for its Microenterprise Assistance Program. The Microenterprise Assistance Program will provide ten one-time grants of $7,200 to eligible businesses. All start-up businesses and existing businesses must be physically located in Framingham and will be required to submit a business plan when applying for a Microenterprise grant. Funds can be used for payroll expenses, leases, business mortgages, or purchasing new equipment to expand business offerings.

The STRAUSS Trades Business Booster Contest awards one U.S. small business a $10,000 grand prize grant plus two tickets to Game One of the 2026 MLB World Series presented by Capital One, along with branded winner recognition as part of the campaign's wrap storytelling. Administered by STRAUSS, a family-owned workwear company that has been outfitting tradespeople since 1948, the contest is part of the brand's broader partnership with Major League Baseball and is designed to spotlight one standout small business and support its next stage of growth. In addition to the grand prize, three runners-up each receive two tickets to any 2026 MLB Postseason game (with a maximum of two winners per game), plus branded winner recognition as part of the campaign's wrap storytelling. Applicants submit a creative application through the STRAUSS contest form describing their business, and finalists are selected after an internal STRAUSS committee review. To qualify, applicants must be the owner of the business and at least 18 years old, operate an active private for-profit or nonprofit entity, have 100 or fewer employees, and have average annual gross receipts of $15,000,000 or less over the previous three years. The contest is not officially sponsored by MLB entities; MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball.

The LaunchLNK Grant awards six early-stage scalable startups building their businesses in Lincoln, Nebraska with a $20,000 non-dilutive cash grant, plus more than $15,000 in in-kind services and benefits. Administered by StartupLNK in partnership with Select Lincoln, the program is designed to help promising startups establish and grow their companies in Lincoln by combining meaningful capital with the connections and support needed to move from early-stage to fully operational business. Beyond the cash grant, recipients receive four additional forms of support: introductions to potential sources of additional capital through StartupLNK's Midwest investor relationships; connections to mentors and to local and regional corporations that may become early customers or partners; access to professional services (legal, accounting, marketing, and other business needs) at little or no cost through corporate and service provider partnerships; and inclusion in the LaunchLNK alumni network, which has supported dozens of Lincoln-area startups since the program launched. Grant funds are distributed as the company meets milestones defined jointly with the LaunchLNK Program Manager. Applications are open to all industries and types of companies, with a clear goal and vision for business growth required. Applicants are prioritized based on the grant's potential economic impact in Lincoln, meaning reviewers look for companies where the funding could spur revenue and job creation and attract additional capital investment. Standout applications tend to demonstrate a clear use of funds tied to a specific next milestone, and founders actively contributing to the Lincoln business or innovation community receive additional consideration. The selection process includes an initial application review, screening calls, and interviews with a selection committee that ultimately selects the six recipients from a pool of 50 to 100 applications each cycle. Previous applicants who were not selected are welcome to reapply, as long as they have not already been awarded a LaunchLNK grant.

SelectFlorida offers a variety of trade grants through the Florida Export Diversification & Expansion program to help qualified companies start exporting for the first time or diversify into new overseas markets. Grants are offered for marketing plans, website localization, market development and trade shows.

The Portland Vacant Storefront Grant Program provides Portland grocery stores, restaurants, and retailers with matching reimbursement grants of up to $100,000 (reimbursing up to 75 percent of eligible project costs) to occupy vacant street-level storefronts within the City of Portland. Administered by Prosper Portland, the city's economic development agency, the program is funded through $800,000 in one-time general fund resources and is designed to foster a vibrant central city and commercial districts by reducing the barrier to entry for eligible businesses seeking to move into vacant commercial space. Applications are accepted on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Maximum grant award amounts vary by business category. Grocery stores that occupy more than 5,000 rentable square feet and provide household products, packaged foods, bulk foods, produce, or meat for home consumption are eligible for up to $100,000. Restaurants are eligible for up to $50,000. Retailers, including grocery stores of 5,000 square feet or less, are eligible for up to $25,000. Awards provided under this program count toward the maximum awards available through Prosper Portland's Prosperity Investment Program (PIP) grant, so businesses that have already received the maximum PIP grant within the last five years are ineligible for this program. Grant funds may be used for both hard costs and soft costs. Eligible hard costs include signage, painting, lighting, storefront work, mechanical systems, tenant improvements, roofs, security, landscaping, and other permanent fixtures. Eligible soft costs (capped at 20 percent of the total grant) include design, architectural and engineering services, permitting fees, and third-party project management. Ineligible expenses include costs incurred before grant agreement execution, inventory purchases or replacement, non-permanent fixtures and furnishings, equipment purchases, real property purchases, and operating expenses such as owner or employee wages, marketing, and rent. To qualify, business owner applicants must own a grocery store, restaurant, or retail business located in the City of Portland, have secured a lease with at least three years remaining to occupy a vacant street-level storefront in a property zoned for commercial, mixed-use, employment, industrial, or multi-dwelling use, hold a City of Portland business license and State of Oregon registry, and be current on all financial obligations related to the property (including taxes, debt payments, and any obligations to Prosper Portland). Franchises or businesses with three or more locations regardless of location must be locally owned, with the owner residing in Portland. Property owners are also eligible if they are leasing to an eligible business owner. Nonprofits, national franchises that are not locally owned, businesses that exclude minors during all business hours, businesses that sell THC products, e-commerce businesses without a storefront, and food carts or food trucks are not eligible.