Dayton Community Development Grants

The R4R program is designed specifically for small businesses with 500 or fewer employees. It guides businesses through a three-step process to enhance their preparedness and, if eligible, provides grants when a state emergency order or state disaster declaration is made in their county. Our team will closely monitor emergency orders and disaster declarations from U.S. states and territories. Should a disaster occur in your area and your business meets the following program criteria, we will reach out with instructions on how to apply for a 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 Merchants Fund Emergency Grant provides Philadelphia small businesses with up to $20,000 in grant funding to help recover from hardship caused by qualifying events such as fire, natural disaster, extreme acts of physical vandalism, utility failure, or highly disruptive public works projects. Administered by The Merchants Fund, the program prioritizes small and micro business owners that have been historically undercapitalized and cannot withstand a prolonged loss of revenue, with a preference for businesses earning less than $500,000 in annual revenue. To be eligible, businesses must be located in Philadelphia, generate annual revenue of $1.5 million or less, and demonstrate financial need for the grant. Ineligible business types include professional services such as medical, legal, insurance, graphic design, architecture, real estate, child and elder care, and nonprofit organizations. Applicants whose emergency does not clearly fall into one of the qualifying categories are encouraged to contact The Merchants Fund directly to confirm eligibility before applying.

Purpose: The Underground Storage Tank (UST) Cleanup Fund's mission is to (1) establish a mechanism to meet Financial Responsibility requirements for owners and operators of petroleum USTs, and (2) reimburse eligible corrective action costs incurred in the cleanup of contamination resulting from the unauthorized release of petroleum from USTs. Description: The UST Cleanup Fund provides a means for petroleum UST owners and operators to meet the federal and state requirements of maintaining financial responsibility to pay for damages arising from unauthorized releases from their petroleum USTs. The Fund assists a large number of small businesses and individuals by providing reimbursement for expenses associated with the cleanup of leaking USTs.

The Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region has a $10,000 grant program for small businesses in southeastern Connecticut that need help with professional business services, equipment purchases, and inventory. Eligible businesses must have been in business for at least one year, have an annual revenue between $35,000 and $1.5 million, and be in good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services.