KC G.I.F.T Grant

The Frederick County Agricultural Innovation Grant is a competitive grant program that provides Frederick County, Maryland agricultural producers with grants starting at $5,000 (with recent award cycles providing individual awards up to roughly $25,000) to help agricultural businesses expand or diversify their operations and improve the long-term economic viability of the local agriculture industry. Administered by the Frederick County Office of Agriculture, the program is funded through a $250,000 annual allocation that is distributed across two grant cycles per year. Since its launch in 2021, the program has awarded more than $2 million to support more than 85 projects across Frederick County, and generated an average return of $3.67 in private investment for every dollar of county funding awarded. To qualify, applicants must have been operating in Frederick County for at least one year, have recorded at least $2,500 in annual (not cumulative) sales (or include a documented outline of investment in the operation and its impact on future sales in the business plan), provide documented evidence of outreach to Frederick County Planning and Zoning to confirm the proposed project is an allowed use, and fall into one of five eligible applicant categories: crop or livestock producer, value-added producer (as defined by Maryland law), agricultural cooperative, seafood processor, or primary or secondary timber products processor. Prior recipients of an Agriculture Innovation Grant are eligible to reapply but must be in good standing with the expense reporting from any prior award. Grant funds may be used for research and development, production buildings, major fixtures, and processing facilities. Projects must be completed within six months of the date the grant agreement is executed, and recipients are required to submit monthly Expense Substantiation Forms with backup documentation by the 30th of each month until grant funds are expended in full. Applications are evaluated against a 100-point scoring rubric that covers the description of the project, budget and capital needed, innovation, economic impact, business plan quality (executive summary, operations, marketing plan, financial plan), and first-time grant recipient status. Applications are reviewed by a committee of representatives from the banking, economic development, and agriculture fields, which recommends award recipients to the County Executive for final approval.

Skip offers Instant Grants on a rolling basis, providing funding opportunities with shorter turnaround windows. These grant amounts are customized based on the number of Skip services you use. Grants are announced a couple of days in advance and generally occur twice a week, with deadlines on Tuesdays and Fridays. Applicants must participate in Skip’s YouTube livestream during the selection process.

Intern Nebraska gives grants to businesses that hire eligible student interns. Eligible businesses can get 50% of their internship expenses reimbursed, up to $7,500 per internship. To qualify, businesses need to be located in Nebraska, employ a student intern in a technical position, and pay at least the state minimum hourly wage. Businesses with fewer than 150 full-time employees are eligible for reimbursements on wages, tuition, internship housing, transportation expenses, and recruitment or admin costs. Businesses with more than 150 employees are eligible for all of the above except the wages paid to interns.

MEDC’s Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant program will provide 50% reimbursement for qualifying I4.0 technology costs up to $25,000 for eligible Michigan manufacturers.

The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge offers entrepreneurs the chance to win a grand prize, including a cash award from the $35,000 prize pool and a spotlight in Inc. magazine. The competition involves several phases: an initial application, a mentoring phase, and a public vote to narrow the field to three finalists, who will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges.