Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant

The Nashville Small Business Growth Incentives are a suite of four grant programs administered by the Nashville Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development, designed to strengthen local businesses, support job growth, train employees, and improve the economic vitality of the city’s commercial corridors. All four programs share a common baseline eligibility requirement: applicants must have fewer than 100 employees globally and operate a physical business location within Davidson County. Applications for any of the four programs are routed through a single Application for Incentives form on the Metro Nashville hub, after which the appropriate program team follows up with the applicant. The Property Investment Incentive supports construction and rehabilitation of commercial properties through a 50 percent reimbursement grant of up to $50,000, with a minimum required investment of $10,000. Eligible properties must be located in designated census tracts and have an existing property value of up to $2 million. The program covers both exterior and interior improvements. The Legacy Business Program provides grants of up to $30,000 per business to support longtime Nashville businesses that have become fixtures of their communities. To qualify, businesses must be for-profit, independently and locally owned, have continuously operated in Nashville for at least 10 years, and demonstrate that they have contributed to the culture, history, or identity of their neighborhood. Grant funds help legacy businesses stay competitive by financially assisting with modernizing operational infrastructure, planning for sustainability and resilience, reducing operational costs, investing in marketing, and other similar needs. The Workforce Advancement Incentive reimburses employers for employee training and professional development costs at a rate of $1,000 per employee for up to 10 employees, with a maximum grant of $10,000 per business. To qualify, businesses must have at least five employees, use a formal internal training program or one offered by an accredited institution, and ensure that the training leads to a recognized industry-advancing credential. The Job Growth Incentive provides financial support to qualifying small businesses that create new jobs. Eligible for-profit businesses can qualify by adding at least 10 new positions within a 12-month period, with each new job paying more than 80 percent of the average wage for the Nashville-Davidson County metropolitan area. The incentive reimburses training and relocation costs at $500 per new position, or $750 per position filled by a veteran, with a maximum award of $50,000 per business.

The Changing the Game Grant awards five $20,000 grants to U.S.-based for-profit food and beverage businesses creating community-centered spaces where women's sports are the main event. Sponsored by Stanley 1913, the global lifestyle brand known for premium food and beverage innovation, and run in partnership with TOGETHXR (a women's sports media company co-founded by Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, Sue Bird, and Jessica Robertson) with end-to-end program administration by Honeycomb Credit, the program supports founders reimagining the traditional sports bar as an elevated, community-driven "third space" that pairs premium food and beverage with a dedicated spotlight on women's sports. The grant is intentionally flexible in format: qualifying businesses can include sports bars, restaurants, cafés, event venues, or community gathering spaces, and both currently operating businesses and founders in the planning stages are eligible. To qualify, applicants must own or be an authorized representative of a for-profit business registered and in good standing in the United States, be at least 18 years old (19 in Alabama and Nebraska), be a legal U.S. resident, operate or plan to operate a food and beverage space that centers women's sports as the main event (not a secondary broadcast or afterthought), and be located in any of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, D.C. Grant funds may be used for buildout, equipment, programming, community-building, food and beverage expenditures, marketing, and operational costs, consistent with the plan described in the applicant's proposal. Applicants are limited to one submission per business. The selection process begins with an eligibility and mission-alignment screening, after which qualified applications advance to a finalist round where a selection committee evaluates each business on narrative strength, community impact, innovation, and program alignment. Final recipients are selected by Stanley 1913 and announced at an in-person celebration in New York City alongside Stanley 1913 executives, TOGETHXR representatives, athletes, and media. In addition to the grant funding, winners receive amplified visibility through Stanley 1913 and TOGETHXR's earned media, social channels, and brand campaigns.

The Philadelphia Boost Your Business Program provides selected Philadelphia small businesses with a $50,000 forgivable loan to help them grow, obtain new City contracts, increase revenue, and create jobs. Twenty businesses are selected per funding round. While structured as a loan rather than a direct grant, the loan is forgiven once the business meets its stated growth goals, effectively functioning as a grant for qualifying businesses. Administered by the City of Philadelphia's Department of Commerce in partnership with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), the program is specifically designed to support business owners who face unique barriers in accessing critical funding and resources to help their businesses grow. In addition to the funding, selected businesses receive ongoing business support assistance throughout the loan period to help them execute their growth plan and meet the forgiveness milestones. Businesses seeking City contracts are strongly encouraged to apply. To qualify, applicants must be located in Philadelphia, have annual revenue of $350,000 or more, be in operation for at least two years, hold an active Philadelphia Commercial Activity License (CAL), be independently owned (franchises are eligible only if independently owned), and have all required federal, state, and local licenses and permits to legally operate. Businesses must also be in compliance with all local, state, and federal taxes (or be on an approved payment plan). Applicants are required to submit a clear budget and growth plan showing how the funding will lead to increased contracts, revenue, or employees, and each application is evaluated based on the impact and feasibility of that growth plan.

The New Jersey Clean Tech Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Program provides early-stage New Jersey based clean technology companies with vouchers of up to $40,000 to subsidize access to research and development equipment, facilities, and makerspaces at participating "core facilities" across the state. Administered by the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), the program is designed to accelerate development and innovation of clean technologies, helping companies transform research stage discoveries into commercially viable technologies that attract industry and investor interest. Eligible target areas include chemicals and advanced materials, energy distribution and storage, energy efficiency, energy generation, green buildings, transportation, waste processing, and water and agriculture. Funds are paid directly to participating core facilities (which include New Jersey based colleges and universities, federal labs, NJEDA approved Strategic Innovation Centers, and approved nonprofit organizations) rather than to the business itself, and may be used for access to labs, equipment, makerspaces, and technology centers, use of facility equipment and technicians for testing and development, training to prepare for independent use of equipment, access to datasets at participating facilities, and supplies and consumables needed to operate that equipment. Applicants can apply for multiple CSIT vouchers up to a combined cap of $40,000 in any 12-month period. To qualify, applicants must be a for-profit company authorized and in good standing to conduct business in New Jersey (nonprofits are not eligible), have no more than 50 full-time-equivalent workers, have at least one full-time worker, conduct 50 percent or more of cumulative work hours in New Jersey, generate less than or equal to $5 million in prior calendar year sales revenue (excluding grant revenue), and hold a current NJ Tax Clearance Certificate listing CSIT. Approved projects must fall within Technology Readiness Levels 1 through 7 (from basic research through full-scale prototype demonstration in a relevant environment). Manufacturing of products for sale or commercial use and real estate rental expenses are not eligible. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis as long as program funds remain available, and applicants must secure a written letter of support, agreed scope of work, and agreed budget from a participating core facility before their application is complete.

The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is excited to announce that we will accept applications for the FY 2026 Robust Retail Citywide Grants. The FY 2026 Robust Retail Citywide grant(s) support existing DC-based retail businesses in maintaining operations and viability. DSLBD intends to award up to $10,000 per business to approximately 50 businesses from the $500,000 in available Fiscal Year 2026 funding. This grant will be operated as a reimbursement grant, awarded via lottery to DC retail businesses that meet all eligibility requirements by the final deadline. Businesses that received a Robust Retail Citywide award in FY2025 are not eligible to apply.