Boost Harlingen Grant

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.

The Delaware Grocery Initiative is back for 2026 with $700K in available funding! The goal is to expand access to healthy foods in food deserts in Delaware and areas at risk of becoming food deserts, by providing grants and other forms of financial assistance to eligible food businesses and organizations. A total of $700,000 in grant funding is available to Delaware farmers; small, community and independent grocery retailers, including those offering culturally diverse foods; food banks; food pantries; and other food supply chain businesses and organizations. Awarded funds may be used to support operations, capital expenses, equipment purchases, and other projects that expand supply chain capacity and strengthen collaboration among community partners.

Revitalize Harlingen is a small business facade improvement matching grant program offered by the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) to enhance storefronts, attract more customers, retain and expand jobs, and stimulate economic activity in Harlingen. The program provides up to $10,000 in matching funds for each pre-approved project. No funds are provided upfront. Eligible pre-approved projects must be completed by August 31, 2026. The matching reimbursement payment is provided when the project is completed, subject to the terms of the grant and final approval from the HEDC Board of Directors. Program eligibility is discretionary and may be discontinued by the HEDC Board of Directors or Harlingen City Commission at any time. The HEDC is now accepting Pre-Approval Applications for Round Four of Revitalize Harlingen. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been encumbered or spent.

The Alachua County Small Grant Initiative (SGI) provides Alachua County, Florida nonprofit grassroots organizations and emerging small businesses with grants of up to $5,000 to fund one-time capacity-building or infrastructure improvement projects that serve residents living at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Administered by the Alachua County Commission, the program funds projects that address one or more of four priority areas: safe and affordable housing, adequate food, quality health care, and quality childcare and education. Grants are awarded annually with a project period running from October through the following September, contingent on funding appropriation by the County Commission. Eligibility for emerging small businesses is defined as organizations with 25 or fewer permanent, full-time employees and a net worth of no more than $1 million. All applicants (nonprofits and small businesses alike) must demonstrate that their proposed project directly serves Alachua County residents living at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level in one or more of the four priority areas. Each organization may submit only one application per funding cycle. Applications are submitted electronically through the county's OpenGov portal, and complete Request for Applications (RFA) materials, application instructions, and eligibility requirements are posted there each cycle. Late applications are not accepted, and applications that do not meet grant requirements are rejected. An optional pre-application workshop is typically held before each funding round to cover the application process, navigating the OpenGov portal, and tips for preparing a successful proposal (with both in-person and virtual attendance options available).

The KC Small Business Grant provides established small businesses in Kansas City, Kansas with a one-time grant of up to $10,000 to help offset expenses that support expanded daily operations and business growth. Administered by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City's Department of Economic Development, the program is designed to stimulate economic growth, attract new investment, and strengthen neighborhood vitality by supporting existing businesses that are primed for expansion. To be eligible, a business must be located in Kansas City, KS, have fewer than 25 employees, and have been operating for at least one year. Grant funds may be used for renovation costs (such as sheetrock, flooring, and painting), façade improvements, inventory, equipment, and marketing (including webpages and signage). Certain business types are ineligible, including home-based businesses, liquor stores, payday loan businesses, hookah and vape shops, and new businesses operating less than one year.