Middlesex Business Operating Grants

The BGV Pitch program flips the traditional pitch experience on its head: we coach entrepreneurs, host a live crowdfunded pitch competition, and connect you to community and professionals to support you on your journey. We democratize funding by allowing the audience to vote with their dollars using our Raisify platform for the founders whose pitch they favor. Each founder has 3 minutes to pitch, followed by a 2-minute Q&A with the audience. Winners will receive cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, access to the BGV Connect Incubator, and a network of business owners and investors.

The Local Small Business Expanded Repair/Restore Grant Program provides Portland small businesses with reimbursement grants of up to $25,000 to repair damage caused by break-ins and vandalism, install preventive security improvements, and offset rising insurance costs. Administered by Prosper Portland (the city's economic development agency) the program is designed to help affected businesses remain open and operational while contributing to a healthier street environment across the city. Eligible expenses include exterior repairs such as window and door replacement, graffiti removal, signage repair, gate repair, security system replacement, and exterior lighting; interior repairs (up to $2,500) such as door replacement, counter repair, and furniture/equipment replacement; security and prevention improvements such as cameras, alarm systems, scissor gates, overhead doors, and safes; and increases in business insurance premiums (up to $5,000). To qualify, businesses must hold a current City of Portland business license and Oregon state business registration, operate a customer-facing ground-floor small business or food cart within Portland, have 50 or fewer employees, and maintain consistent hours of operation. Property owners who do not operate the storefront business themselves, businesses in non-commercially-zoned spaces, landlords and property managers, and cannabis-specific businesses are not eligible. Ineligible expenses include inventory replacement, security personnel, mural repainting, lost sales or wages, and any damages already covered by a successful insurance claim. Grants are issued on a reimbursement basis for eligible repairs or improvements completed up to 90 days prior to the application date.

The Launch Marin City program offers Marin City, California small business owners a free 12-week entrepreneurship training program, with all graduates becoming eligible to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 from the County of Marin upon completion. The grant itself is not automatic; graduates apply for the funding directly with the County after finishing the program. Launch Marin City is administered by the Marin County Office of Equity and Division of Economic Vitality as part of the Marin County Microbusiness Support Program (MSP), a broader initiative funded through the 2022-2025 Marin County Race Equity Action Plan (REAP). The program is designed to give small business owners the knowledge, mentorship, and community they need to build or grow the business they envision. Each cohort accepts 20 participants and meets weekly for 12 sessions in the evening, either in person at the Marin County Free Library's Marin City Branch or via Zoom, depending on the preferences of the cohort. Curriculum topics include sharpening business goals and next steps, reaching customers and marketing the business, pricing products or services, strengthening money management and budgeting, building stronger business systems, and creating a clear plan to move the business forward. Participation is completely free (a $2,500 value covered by MSP funding). To be eligible for Launch Marin City, applicants must be a small business owner who lives or works in Marin City. Businesses from all industries and sectors are invited to apply. Applications are reviewed after each cohort's deadline, with 20 participants selected per session and applicants typically notified of acceptance approximately one week before the cohort begins.

The Start Garden 100 is Michigan's largest open business competition, awarding a total of up to $500,000 in combined grant, loan, and startup capital across 100 finalists and 10 grand prize winners. Administered by Start Garden — a Grand Rapids-based accelerator focused on equitable entrepreneur-driven economic development — the competition is open to anyone in Michigan with a business idea, including aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses exploring a new opportunity. Applicants submit a 100-second video pitch to enter, and 100 finalists are selected to each receive a $1,000 no-strings-attached cash grant to begin preparing for the program's Demo Day event in downtown Grand Rapids. At Demo Day, ten grand prize winners are each awarded an additional $20,000 cash grant from Start Garden, and through a partnership with Northern Initiatives — a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has supported Michigan small businesses for over 30 years — each of those ten winners is also offered an optional pre-approved $20,000 loan, bringing the maximum potential capital per winner to $40,000. While the specific blend of grant, loan, and additional capital partner funding varies depending on each winner's business and chosen pathway, the overall program represents one of the most significant pools of accessible startup funding available in the state. A separate high school category for students under 18 awards $1,000 each to five selected finalists, with an additional $5,000 going to a high school winner chosen on Demo Day. Beyond funding, finalists receive two months of mentorship and refinement support from Start Garden's leadership team and partners, along with visibility through the Demo Day platform and ongoing connections within Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Commercial Development Authority (CDA) of the City of Jacksonville, Alabama, in its continuing effort to support the development of commercial business in Jacksonville, has created a Business Development Grant Program for business owners and tenants. The Business Development Grant Program will continue the process of creating an atmosphere conducive to conducting business in Jacksonville while attracting new commercial development. The following outlines the details of Jacksonville’s Business Development Grant Program. Business Development Grants are awarded by the CDA to encourage entrepreneurship, investment, and business success in the City of Jacksonville for new, expanding, and transitioning businesses. Grants are contingent on the availability of funding. Businesses must be located within the City of Jacksonville and meet the eligibility requirements.