HBCU Founders Accelertor

Dayton Community Development Corporation offers grants for small businesses that focus on the Downtown District of Dayton. To qualify for these programs, businesses must be within designated locations in the city. The Dayton Downtown Improvement Grant provides up to $25,000, as a 50% match for activities such as interior renovations, signage, landscaping and improvement to the building and parking lot. Along the same lines, the Dayton Small Business Grant offers funding up to $7,500 for exterior projects and also $7,500 for interior projects — on a 50% match basis.

Awarded activities will facilitate the translation of novel recording and modulation technologies that can be used to treat and/or diagnose central nervous system (CNS) diseases and disorders and to better understand the human CNS, from proof of concept up to the stage of readiness for first in human (FIH) studies. Technologies may incorporate any signal modality (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, acoustic) or a combination thereof. Diverse team-based applications that integrate appropriate domains of expertise are encouraged.

The Detroit Legacy Business Project provides financial and technical assistance to small businesses that have operated continuously in Detroit for 30 or more years and have meaningfully contributed to the city's cultural identity through their products, services, and community engagement. Administered by the City of Detroit in partnership with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the program offers tiered grant funding designed to help longstanding businesses make capital improvements, modernize operations, and remain rooted in their neighborhoods. Awards include $50,000 citywide grants, $15,000 district grants (with two awarded in each of Detroit's seven City Council districts per round), and microgrants of $2,500 and $5,000 disbursed at staff discretion to cover smaller projects with a streamlined application process. Grant funds may be used for product inventory, equipment and machinery, furniture and fixtures, software subscriptions, building repairs and renovations, façade and exterior beautification, and professional services such as branding, marketing, financial, legal, and architectural support. Eligible applicants must be independently owned and operated, headquartered in Detroit, open to the public, and able to document at least 30 years of continuous operation in the city.

The Grant for Revitalizing Office Workspaces (GROW) provides Baltimore County businesses signing their first commercial lease in the county with a one-time grant of $8 per square foot, up to a maximum of $80,000, to help offset initial leasing expenses. Administered by Baltimore County's Department of Economic and Workforce Development, the program is designed to encourage businesses to occupy and revitalize office workspaces across the county. To be eligible, businesses must execute a direct lease with a landlord for a minimum 36-month term on at least 500 square feet of Class A or Class B office space (Class A and Class B Flex space is also considered for businesses with a demonstrated need for laboratory space). Applicants must apply within 180 days of lease execution, have a minimum personal credit score of 625, and have signed their lease after February 14, 2025. Retail, restaurant, independent financial, and insurance agent or broker establishments are not eligible for this program. Awards are issued on a first-come, first-served basis subject to available funding approved by the County Executive and Baltimore County Council.

The Graduated Lab Space Incentive Program supports Delaware companies that need more lab space to operate and innovate. Businesses can apply for a grant that covers up to one-third of the fit-out or building costs for a new lab space; the maximum grant amount is $70 per square foot for up to 50,000 square feet.