Englewood Business Acceleration Grant

The Backing Small Businesses grant program, supported by American Express, provides support to locally significant small businesses with community reach. The program provides grants of $10,000 to fund projects that promote sustainable growth, enhance long-term resilience, and increase local impact.

The Chicago Neighborhood Market Grant Program provides Chicago small food and beverage business owners and farmers market operators with one-time grants of $10,000 to strengthen local food systems and expand access to fresh, healthy food across the city. Administered by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) in partnership with Allies for Community Business (A4CB), the program is funded by the Chicago Road to Recovery Plan through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with A4CB providing $450,000 in total grant funding to eligible applicants. To qualify, applicants must be a small retail food and beverage business owner or a farmers market operator, operating a storefront or market that is physically located within one of Chicago's designated priority geographies. The program specifically focuses on businesses that serve as both economic anchors and food access points in neighborhoods historically impacted by disinvestment, with the broader goal of ensuring that access to fresh, healthy food does not depend on the neighborhood a resident lives in. Grant funds may be used for a range of purposes, including equipment purchases, market operations, marketing and outreach efforts, and improvements that help farmers markets operate year-round rather than only during traditional market seasons.

The Cedar Rapids City Manager’s Sustainability Grant provides Cedar Rapids, Iowa nonprofits, businesses, and community groups with grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 per project to implement community-driven sustainability projects that benefit the public. Administered by the City of Cedar Rapids and recently launched in October 2026, the program is designed to support community-led efforts that advance sustainability, economic vitality, health, and environmental resilience, aligning with both the city’s Community Climate Action Plan (adopted in September 2021 with a goal of making Cedar Rapids carbon-free, resilient, and accessible by 2050) and the EnvisionCR comprehensive plan. Eligible projects must take place within Cedar Rapids, provide a public benefit, and support the city’s broader sustainability goals. Example project types include electric vehicle charging stations, nature-based spaces and playgrounds, waste-reduction efforts, active transportation projects, energy conservation initiatives, public art and beautification, mini forest planting, and other projects that enhance outdoor spaces or reduce environmental impact. Grants are intended for one-year projects, though extensions may be approved with appropriate justification. Successful applicants are also expected to prioritize local spending in executing their project. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community groups. Applications are evaluated across five criteria: feasibility, innovation, budget, community engagement, and alignment with city priorities. Applications are submitted through the city’s online grant portal, which also hosts the full set of program guidelines, scoring criteria, and application requirements.

The Clackamas County Tourism Business Grant Program provides Clackamas County tourism-related businesses with grants of up to $100,000 to fund projects that help them grow and enhance the visitor experience. Administered by the Clackamas County Office of Economic Development in partnership with the Office of Tourism, the program is a one-time, $1 million initiative structured around two funding tracks of $500,000 each: a Small Business Acceleration Track, which supports capital investments, physical improvements, and workforce development projects for small tourism businesses; and a Technical & Professional Services Track, which supports more established businesses with projects requiring specialized expertise to remove barriers to growth. Eligible applicants must operate a tourism-related business located in Clackamas County, defined as one whose products, services, or operations contribute to the local travel and tourism economy and that appeals to visitors traveling from 50 or more miles away. The Small Business Acceleration Track is open to either existing small businesses (registered for 2+ years with 10 or fewer employees) or early-stage ventures (registered for less than 3 years with 3 or fewer employees including founders), and requires a minimum 25% match of total project cost. National franchises and chains are not eligible, except for lodging businesses. Funds may be used for capital investment (equipment, software, physical assets), physical improvements (property upgrades, expansion, new locations), or workforce projects (staff training, new permanent hires, converting part-time to full-time roles), with all projects required to demonstrably improve visitor experience or accessibility.

The NIH Small Research Grant Program supports small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. This program supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology. This Notice of Funding Opportunity does not accept applications proposing clinical trial(s).