Elevate Vernon Grant

The Shift4 Rescue Mission Contest awards one selected restaurant or bar owner with a $100,000 business grant, a one-on-one business consultation with Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer, and a complete Shift4 POS system to help revitalize their business. Sponsored by Shift4 and run in partnership with hospitality expert and television personality Jon Taffer, the contest is open to restaurant and bar owners across the United States and is designed to support community-focused operators facing operational and financial challenges. In addition to the grand prize, two additional finalists each receive a free Shift4 POS system and an in-person consultation with Jon Taffer. Applicants enter by submitting a short video explaining why their restaurant or bar needs a Rescue Mission and how they would use the grant funds to strengthen their operations. Now in its third year, the contest has grown each iteration, with the current $100,000 grand prize representing the largest single award offered through the program to date.

The Launch Marin City program offers Marin City, California small business owners a free 12-week entrepreneurship training program, with all graduates becoming eligible to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 from the County of Marin upon completion. The grant itself is not automatic; graduates apply for the funding directly with the County after finishing the program. Launch Marin City is administered by the Marin County Office of Equity and Division of Economic Vitality as part of the Marin County Microbusiness Support Program (MSP), a broader initiative funded through the 2022-2025 Marin County Race Equity Action Plan (REAP). The program is designed to give small business owners the knowledge, mentorship, and community they need to build or grow the business they envision. Each cohort accepts 20 participants and meets weekly for 12 sessions in the evening, either in person at the Marin County Free Library's Marin City Branch or via Zoom, depending on the preferences of the cohort. Curriculum topics include sharpening business goals and next steps, reaching customers and marketing the business, pricing products or services, strengthening money management and budgeting, building stronger business systems, and creating a clear plan to move the business forward. Participation is completely free (a $2,500 value covered by MSP funding). To be eligible for Launch Marin City, applicants must be a small business owner who lives or works in Marin City. Businesses from all industries and sectors are invited to apply. Applications are reviewed after each cohort's deadline, with 20 participants selected per session and applicants typically notified of acceptance approximately one week before the cohort begins.

Connecticut manufacturers of all sizes and industries can leverage our internship program to strengthen their teams and build a pipeline of future talent. Companies with fewer than 300 employees can apply for a matching wage subsidy grant, covering up to $14,000 for four qualified interns during the summer of 2026.

The Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) is a discretionary incentive that provides funding and services to qualifying companies to support new job creation or upskilling in conjunction with new or expanding operations. The cash grant and accompanying services are intended to offset a company’s recruitment and training costs. The funding for each net new, full-time job created or full-time employee retrained is based on a customized budget determined by an assessment of the company’s recruiting and training activities, as well as the project’s expected benefit to the Commonwealth. The final budget and proposal are approved in advance of the project by the Secretary of Commerce and Trade. VJIP support is typically for a 36-month period. Companies can be reimbursed 90 days after the new employee is hired (for new jobs programs) or after the retraining activity is complete (for retraining programs).

The Ox Shoppe provides grants to entrepreneurs who have had to overcome adversity in their startup journey. Grants are also paired with personalized coaching and real-world support, so ideas don’t stay stuck in notebooks or conversations—they turn into action. We don’t believe your past defines your future. We believe your ambition, grit, and creativity do. Our work exists to give people permission—and support—to dream big and build boldly.