Black Ambition Prize

The Seattle Tenant Improvement Program provides Seattle small businesses with forgivable loans of up to $50,000 to fund exterior signage upgrades or commercial equipment purchases. Administered by the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) in partnership with Grow America, the program offers two award packages: a Signage Package of up to $15,000 for the purchase of new exterior signage, and an Equipment Package of up to $50,000 for commercial equipment purchases. Awards are issued as 0% interest forgivable loans that convert to grants after the business remains in operation for one year following the final draw and meets its public benefit commitment, effectively functioning as a grant for qualifying businesses. To be eligible, businesses must be for-profit and independently owned (no franchises or chains), located within Seattle city limits, have been operating for at least two years, employ fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees, operate no more than two locations, generate annual gross revenue below $2 million, and demonstrate a clear public benefit to the community such as job creation, supporting events, or donating meals. Applicants must also have a signed commercial lease with at least three years remaining. Applications are evaluated on equity, viability, project readiness, and community impact, with priority given to projects serving high-displacement-risk neighborhoods and to businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, people of color, or women. Nonprofits, home-based businesses, and adult entertainment businesses are not eligible.

Innovate ND is a voucher-based reimbursement program designed to help North Dakota entrepreneurs advance their businesses by supporting customer and market research. Each participant may receive up to $50,000 in reimbursable expenses, administered through the Entrepreneur Centers. The program is divided into two phases, each offering up to $25,000 in reimbursements. Participants have six months per phase, with a maximum of 12 months to complete the full program.

The Apprenticeship Funding Program was created for the purpose of providing financial assistance to Connecticut manufacturing companies to support the addition and utilization of Registered Apprenticeships to train and fill critical positions required for stability, continuity, and growth of manufacturing companies. Registered Manufacturing Employers may seek a wage subsidy for their registered apprentices and pre-apprentices. A single Employer Sponsor can apply for reimbursement for up to four (4) apprentices per year and (3) pre-apprentices per year (7 total per year). Reimbursement may be requested as often as every 6-months. An employer who has at least four registered apprentices and three registered pre-apprentices may request a maximum of $26,250 every six months ( 7 x $3,750) or a maximum of $52,500/year (7 x $7,500). The maximum reimbursement that will be made for any one-named apprentice or pre-apprentice is $15,000 over the course of their entire apprenticeship program regardless of the number of years that they remain in an "apprenticeship" status. There is presently no lifetime maximum that any one registered employer may receive from this program, only an annual maximum of $52,500.

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant provides small businesses across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands with $10,000 grants distributed monthly, with 10 businesses selected each month. Administered by LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), a national nonprofit that serves as the program's independent grant administrator, the grant is part of Verizon's broader commitment to equip one million small businesses with the tools and resources they need to thrive in today's digital economy. Since 2021, the program has funded more than 1,500 unique small businesses. What makes this grant distinctive is its education-first structure: applicants must first register on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform (a free resource hub offering business courses, virtual events, and in-person workshops on topics such as marketing, AI, intellectual property, and social media) and complete any combination of two eligible courses or events to unlock the grant application. Once submitted, a single application remains under consideration for every monthly selection cycle throughout the year, meaning applicants only need to apply once to be considered across all remaining rounds. To be eligible, applicants must operate a for-profit small business (nonprofits are not eligible) based in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, be at least 18 years of age, and be able to provide business and financial verification documentation if selected as a finalist. LISC uses a multi-step selection process that combines an anonymous drawing (to ensure every applicant has an equal chance), an algorithm that balances awards across industries and geographies, an in-depth review of community impact and proposed use of funds, and financial and legal verification of finalists. Priority is given to first-time applicants and to businesses located in under-resourced, low-to-moderate income communities that may not have access to flexible, affordable capital. The application is available in both English and Spanish, and grant funds do not need to be repaid.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support the development of a comprehensive and well-defined product development strategy for next-generation treatments for HIV and HIV-associated comorbidities, coinfections and complication and preventive strategies for HIV, as well as facilitating the translation of research findings into drug products that enables submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA.