Englewood Business Initiation Grant

The Illinois New Stores in Food Deserts Program provides Illinois-based grocery operators and local government entities with reimbursement grants of $500,000 to $5.2 million to establish new grocery stores in Illinois census tracts that qualify as food deserts. Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) as part of the broader Illinois Grocery Initiative (authorized by Public Act 103-0561), the program has approximately $20.8 million in total funding available in the current round and anticipates 4 to 8 awards. The goal is to combat food insecurity by supporting the creation of grocery stores in areas that meet specific criteria related to poverty, population density, and limited fresh food accessibility. Eligibility is limited to units of local government and to independent grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than four grocery locations (both for-profit and nonprofit organizations qualify). To be eligible, the proposed grocery location must be within a census tract that meets both a low income threshold and a low food access threshold. Low income thresholds include a poverty rate of at least 15 percent, or a median family income below the statewide median (for non-metropolitan tracts) or below the greater of the statewide or metropolitan area median (for tracts within a metropolitan statistical area). Low food access thresholds require that at least 33 percent of the tract's population (or 500 residents) live more than 10 miles from the nearest grocery store in rural tracts, or more than half a mile in urban tracts. The store must be classified under NAICS code 445110 (supermarket or grocery retailer) or as a meat, fruit and vegetable, or seafood retailer, cannot derive more than 30 percent of its revenue from alcohol and tobacco sales, must sell unprocessed fresh foods such as meats, fruits, and vegetables, and must prepare to accept both SNAP and WIC benefits. Prior recipients of New Stores in Food Deserts grants are not eligible to receive additional grants at the same location. Grant funds may be used for real estate and related expenses, site development, construction of a new facility or renovation of an existing facility, furniture, fixtures, and equipment, and working capital for the first 24 months of store operations (including employee wages, utility costs, initial inventory of food, and other operating expenses that support the retail sale of food). This round of the program also introduces the option to incorporate pharmacy operations into the new grocery store to help address the lack of access to prescription medications and pharmacist consultations in some communities. Applicants incorporating a pharmacy may also fund initial inventory of prescription medications and pharmacy-related capital expenditures through the grant. Inclusion of a pharmacy is not required, and applicants are not penalized for excluding one. Grant funds cannot be used to purchase equipment, supplies, or inventory unrelated to the provision of food (such as lottery equipment or non-food inventory), and expenditures associated with delivery services (such as vehicles and driver wages) are not eligible for reimbursement. Applicants who do not incorporate a pharmacy are required to provide a 25 percent match of total project costs (representing a 1:3 match), while applicants incorporating a pharmacy have a reduced match requirement of 15 percent. Matching funds may come from any non-state sources such as local municipal funds, federal funds, or private investment, and in-kind contributions and expenditures incurred prior to receipt of the Notice of State Award cannot count toward the match. Grants are issued on a reimbursement basis, with grantees submitting paid invoices for approved expenditures. Applicants may request an advance of up to two months' worth of expenditures at DCEO's discretion. Applications are scored competitively across three main categories (Need, Capacity, and Quality), and each application must include at least two Letters of Support (with at least one coming from an elected official serving the project area).

The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides U.S. military veterans in the beginning years of farming or ranching with small grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to help launch and grow their agricultural businesses. Administered by the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), a national nonprofit that supports veteran-owned farm and ranch businesses, the program has awarded nearly $4 million to more than 930 veterans since 2011. The program is powered in part by Wounded Warrior Project and receives additional support from Kubota (whose "Geared To Give" equipment program is integrated into the same application), the Tractor Supply Co. Foundation, Farm Credit, AgWest, and the SBA. Rather than disbursing cash directly to recipients, the Fellowship Fund pays approved third-party vendors on the recipient's behalf for specific items the veteran identifies as crucial to the launch of their farm business. Recipients have six months from award notification to use their grant. Common purchases funded through the program include all-terrain vehicles, beekeeping equipment, breeding livestock, bulk feed, fencing, storage freezers, tractor implements, walk-behind tractors, and scholarships. To qualify, applicants must be a member of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, have served or currently be serving in any branch of the United States military, have received an Honorable characterization of service upon discharge (other characterizations are considered on a case-by-case basis), operate an agricultural business with a formal business plan, and be willing to fully participate in the Fellowship Program (which includes periodic progress reports, mentoring other farmer veterans, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the farmer veteran community). Currently serving service members must provide a letter of support from their commanding officer attesting to their characterization of service. The Fellowship is designed to support for-profit agricultural businesses; nonprofit entities are not eligible. Previous Fellowship recipients may only reapply if they were previously awarded $1,000 or less. The application opens once per year and consists of short answer and essay questions across five focus areas: military service, educational background, prior farming experience, business and financial planning, and short-term and long-term goals. Applicants are evaluated on farm training and transferable skills, personal investment in their farm business, the strength of their funding request and demonstrated ability to grow the business through the award, vision and goals for the future, and community involvement.

Wisconsin companies can be reimbursed for specific expenses associated with a short-term export development project that will help to grow their presence in an international market. This grant program is tiered to provide a base amount of support (up to $10,000 per application, limited to three total grants per company), with a higher level of support (up to $30,000 per application, limited to six total grants per company) available for companies that have completed ExporTech.

The LaunchKC Grants Competition awards early-stage startups with $60,000 in equity-free grant funding plus a year of support services in exchange for relocating their business to Kansas City, Missouri for at least one year. Administered by LaunchKC (a nonprofit community benefit organization funded largely through the State of Missouri, the Missouri Technology Corporation, and the Kansas City community) the competition invests more than $500,000 into startups annually and searches nationwide for innovative, scalable, technology-enabled early-stage companies. In addition to the cash grant, recipients receive free office space in Downtown Kansas City for one year, one-on-one mentorship with industry experts, curated programming and fundraising support, and access to the LaunchKC network of investors and partners. Eligible applicants must be for-profit entities with technology-based products or services, operate a scalable business model, and be at the validated-idea stage or later (with a minimum viable product, customer discovery, or other market validation). Applicants may come from anywhere in the U.S. or abroad but must agree to locate their headquarters or significant operations — including at least one full-time founder and 51% of full-time staff — in Kansas City, MO for the duration of the year-long program. Retail businesses with brick-and-mortar storefronts, residential real estate businesses, investment vehicles, sports venues, gaming and gambling businesses, lodging establishments, entertainment-related establishments, and past LaunchKC cash-prize winners are not eligible. Applicants are selected through a competitive three-round judging process that culminates in live in-person pitches at the LaunchKC Finals.

For over 30 years, the Vermont Training Program (VTP) has partnered with employers of all sizes and training providers to prepare Vermont's employees for the jobs of tomorrow. VTP provides performance-based workforce grants for pre-employment training, training for new hires, and training for incumbent workers. This training can either be on-site or offered through an outside provider. VTP grants may cover up to 50% of the training cost. The program also works with eligible employers to introduce manufacturers and other regionally significant employers to Vermont students at every level. Employers who provide work-based learning programs or activities developed in partnership with a school or educational program may apply to VTP for a grant to offset the costs of providing these programs. This work supports several different types of training, but the most requested programs are for advanced manufacturing skills like Lean Technology, Computer-Aided Design, and Computer Numerical Control machining. Supervisory and management training are also popular.