Hiring Our Heroes’ Small Business Grant

The BIG LIFT Citywide Storefront Improvement Grant Program provides Brownsville, Texas small businesses with reimbursement grants of up to $30,000 to fund exterior property improvements. Administered by the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC), the program is designed to improve the visual appearance of commercial buildings throughout the city, support locally owned small businesses with fewer than 20 employees, and extend the economic development benefits of BCIC's downtown-focused BIG Property Improvement Grant into commercial corridors and neighborhoods citywide. The program operates on a reimbursement basis: approved applicants must fund their projects upfront and are reimbursed upon satisfactory project completion and submission of required documentation. Applications open by City Council District on a rotating basis, with each district opening for a defined window each year. Businesses located within the boundaries of the original BIG Program (Historic Downtown) must apply under the BIG Program guidelines rather than BIG LIFT, and no business may receive funding from both programs for the same property.

The Business Development Grant provides Greater Charlottesville small businesses with $5,000 grants to help empower and sustain local entrepreneurs. Administered by the United Way of Greater Charlottesville in partnership with the Minority Business Alliance of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the program awards multiple grants each year to local small businesses, with the goal of addressing one of the most common barriers to small business success: a lack of affordable capital. Since 2019, the partnership has awarded over $150,000 in grants to local small businesses, including six businesses awarded $5,000 each in the most recent cycle. Funds may be used for equipment acquisition, inventory, and operating expenses, including business promotion. Applications typically become available each summer, and attendance at a virtual information session is often required to apply.

The Front Door Refresh Grant provides small businesses and commercial property owners along Baton Rouge's Plank Road Corridor with grants of up to $10,000 per storefront to fund exterior façade and site improvements that make storefronts more attractive, accessible, and inviting. Administered by Build East Baton Rouge (Build EBR), the East Baton Rouge Parish Redevelopment Authority, the program was launched through the JPMorgan Chase AdvancingCities initiative and advances the vision of the Reimagine Plank Road Master Plan. Grants may cover up to 100 percent of eligible façade improvement costs, subject to program caps, design approval, and funding availability, with award amounts varying based on corridor priority, project impact, and alignment with redevelopment goals. Shopping centers or multi-tenant buildings may receive multiple awards for improvements to distinct storefronts. To qualify, applicants must be either the owner of a commercial building or a small business owner occupying a storefront within an eligible building (with written authorization from the property owner). Small businesses are defined as independently owned with fewer than 100 employees. Properties must be located within designated Target Areas, with the current initial phase focused on properties between North 22nd Street and Clayton Street along Plank Road, and broader eligibility extending to Build EBR's emphasized redevelopment corridors including Plank Road, Scenic Highway, Florida Boulevard, and the Cortana Corridor Economic Development District (CCEDD). Property taxes must be current, applicants must have no past-due debts to the City-Parish, and buildings must meet applicable City-Parish health and safety standards. Eligible expenses include signage (removal, design, fabrication, installation, or renovation), awnings and canopies, building façade improvements (masonry cleaning, painting, woodwork restoration, window and door replacement, and other exterior repairs), walls, screening, fencing, and landscaping (to soften or conceal storage areas, workspaces, or dumpsters), removal of inappropriate façade coverings (vinyl or aluminum cladding, boarded windows), cladding removal and restoration, permanent site and parking area improvements (landscaping, limited paving repairs, restriping), exterior accessibility improvements (ADA entrances, ramps, door modifications), and reasonable architectural or design fees (contracted after the grant award date). Grantees must agree to a five-year maintenance commitment as a condition of funding, and Build EBR may record a lien or restrictive covenant against the property to secure compliance, with a prorated repayment required if improvements are removed, altered, or neglected within the five-year period. Grant funds are typically issued directly to qualified contractors, and applicants must submit three cost estimates from separate qualified construction companies as part of the application process. Labor performed by the business or property owner themselves is not eligible for reimbursement.

The San Francisco Environment Department is offering grants of up to $2,500 to help food service businesses lease or purchase an automatic dishwasher, cover minor installation costs, and buy essential dishwashing supplies. The purpose of this grant is to help San Francisco food service businesses reduce waste by building or expanding their reusable foodware use and systems for on-site dining. Funding is specifically intended to support businesses in transitioning from disposable foodware and to long-term reuse solutions, in alignment with San Francisco’s zero waste goals. Grants are available only until funding runs out. Early applications are strongly encouraged.

The Tucson Ready, Steady, Open Pilot Program provides Tucson small businesses impacted by City capital construction projects with grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 across three distinct grant types tailored to different phases of a construction project. Administered by the City of Tucson's Department of Transportation & Mobility and funded through $345,000 in remaining Tucson American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, the program is designed to help businesses prepare for, remain operational during, and recover from the temporary disruption caused by City infrastructure investments on selected project corridors. The program offers three grant types, each targeting a different stage of a construction project's impact. The Ready Grant provides up to $500 to help businesses prepare before construction begins, with eligible uses including "Open for Business" signs, digital and print marketing materials, skill-building in social media and marketing, and online commerce options. The Steady Grant provides up to $10,000 to help businesses remain open and operational during active construction, with eligible uses including payroll, rent, utilities, new operational costs the business has experienced, and physical improvements that refresh the business space. The Open Grant provides up to $5,000 to help businesses recover after construction ends and corridor improvements are in place. Each grant type is tied to specific qualifying construction corridors, which are mapped by the City based on City capital construction projects that restrict traffic for longer than 90 days during FY26 or FY27 and have more than 10 businesses located adjacent to or near the project site. To qualify, applicants must operate a small local business located adjacent to a designated construction work zone (unless the specific project corridor description specifies otherwise), have been located in the corridor at least six months prior to construction, hold a current City of Tucson business license, be a local independent business (local franchises qualify provided they meet FTE and revenue caps), employ fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees, and generate less than $2 million in annual revenue. Businesses whose primary activities are liquor stores, smoke shops, CBD product manufacturers and sellers, farms, politically affiliated businesses, armament or weapons businesses, adult-oriented businesses, lending businesses (such as check cashing), or investment businesses are not eligible. Applicants may not be previously awarded a grant of the same type for the same selected project. Grant funding is competitive, and not all applications received will be awarded. Applications are prioritized based on four criteria: business viability, the construction-related impact on the business, the financial need or costs the business has identified, and the proposal for use of City funding. Applications are submitted exclusively through the City's ZoomGrants portal, where applicants can also communicate directly with City of Tucson grants staff throughout the review process.