Hawaii Energy EmPOWER Grant

The Affordable Commercial Tenanting (ACT) Grant provides Portland property owners and small business owners with reimbursement grants of up to $300,000 to fund tenant improvements, space related soft costs, and permitting support needed to ready a commercial space for opening. Administered by Prosper Portland, the city's economic development agency, the program is designed to facilitate access to affordable commercial space and support inclusive small business growth by helping local entrepreneurs move into ground floor storefronts at a lower cost. The grant is currently available for properties located within the Interstate Corridor and Gateway Regional Center Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Districts, though the program may expand to other areas of the city in the future. To qualify, the property owner must agree to provide the small business with a minimum three year lease that includes at least one of the following: a lease rate 10 to 25 percent below market, a period of rent abatement, or capped rent escalations during the affordable rate period. The property must be ground floor and zoned for commercial or mixed use. Eligible business owners must demonstrate at least two years of business experience and meet criteria related to displacement, limited access to capital, first generation business ownership, or location within a low income census tract. Funds may be used for hard costs to ready the space (such as standard finishes, signage, landscaping, lighting, and security upgrades), up to $25,000 for soft costs like design and permitting fees, and up to $25,000 for predevelopment work. Operating expenses, inventory, and non permanent fixtures are not eligible. Property management companies, mobile businesses, e-commerce businesses, and cannabis businesses are not eligible to apply.

The Harford County Workforce Technical Training Grant (WFTTG) provides Harford County, Maryland small businesses with reimbursement grants that cover up to 50 percent of eligible training costs, with awards of up to $2,000 per employee per round and $10,000 per business per fiscal year. Administered by the Harford County Department of Community and Economic Development, the program is a competitive matching investment grant designed to help local employers become more productive and competitive by accelerating the delivery of technical training to existing full-time, permanent employees. The grant supports intermediate and advanced technical training that leads to industry-recognized certifications and credentials, helping businesses invest in employee growth while building a stronger local workforce. Eligible uses of funds include approved external or internal technical training programs and qualifying apprenticeship programs. Recent recipients have used grant funds to support electrical training, HVAC training, welding qualifications, advanced computer training, and project management training. Over the past 10 years, Harford County's Department of Community and Economic Development has awarded more than $500,000 in training grants to small businesses across a range of industries. Eligible applicants must be a small business with a physical location in Harford County. Employees to be trained must work in Harford County, be full-time, and earn at least 150 percent of Maryland's minimum wage. The program offers two rounds of competitive funding each fiscal year, with applications reviewed by county staff and awards issued as reimbursements after the training is completed and paid for by the business. Training funded through each round must be completed during that same round's project period.

The Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) Grant is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization grant program that provides Pennsylvania industrial facilities with reimbursement grants to fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas and co-pollutant emissions. Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Energy Programs Office and funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the program is designed to lower emissions from Pennsylvania's industrial sector (which accounts for just over 30 percent of the state's total greenhouse gas emissions) while creating jobs, reducing energy costs, and strengthening manufacturing competitiveness. RISE PA awards funding through three competitive tracks tailored to project size: a Small-scale Award Track (SAT), administered in partnership with PennTAP (Penn State's Technology Application Program), for smaller decarbonization projects with multiple funding rounds; and Medium and Large-scale Award Tracks (MAT/LAT), administered through the DCED Enterprise eGrants system, for larger industrial projects. Eligible project types span industrial electrification, energy efficiency and process emissions reductions, switching to low-carbon fuels, on-site renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and reducing fugitive emissions from natural gas and oil systems and coal mining. Grants are issued on a reimbursement basis, with medium and large-scale projects reimbursed for up to 90 percent of the Base Grant Award as costs are incurred and the remaining 10 percent disbursed once measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) of the project's emissions reductions is complete. Applicants can also receive a reimbursement of up to 1 percent of total project cost (capped at $70,000) to offset MMV expenses. Eligible expenses incurred on or after October 1, 2024 may be reimbursed, and all projects must be completed by the program's federally mandated sunset date of April 1, 2029.

Through the GOED’s Workforce Development Program, companies can access money to help train new and existing employees that require additional skills as the result of company growth. The program can fund up to 50% of eligible training expenses to companies that meet certain wage and benefit criteria. The funds are awarded on a reimbursement basis.

The Wilkes EDC Entrepreneur Grant Program offers funds to support Existing Business Expansions and those planning to Start a Business in Wilkes County, where businesses have the potential to win up $6,000! Applicants submit a simple business plan and a financial summary that outline how the grant funds will be used to grow or launch their business. Additionally, you’ll create a 3-minute pitch video explaining your request. Grant recipients can receive up to $6,000 through the Entrepreneur Grant Program. Funds will be available for withdrawal within one year of the award date. To access the grant, recipients must provide receipts or documentation of purchased items or services approved by the program’s judging panel. Once reviewed and approved by Wilkes EDC, the funds will be released.