MN Promise Act Grant

The Start Small Campbell Grant is a $5,000 competitive grant that supports new businesses in Campbell County, Virginia during their initial start-up period. Administered by the Campbell County Department of Economic Development, the program awards up to four grants per year through two semi-annual application cycles, with the goal of cultivating new successful businesses in the county by pairing grant funding with an emphasis on entrepreneurial training and business planning. To qualify, applicants must be a business that is less than three years old or opening their first Campbell County location, hold a valid Campbell County, Town of Altavista, or Town of Brookneal business license, and be current on all local taxes. Eligibility is limited to businesses with a permanent Campbell County location that are anticipated to produce recurring local tax revenue. Mobile, itinerant, temporary, or primarily online/remote businesses are ineligible unless they can demonstrate a fixed local facility and a meaningful county tax contribution. Businesses that have not yet opened at the time of application must have a signed lease and a committed opening date before a grant award will be issued. Applicants must attend at least two qualifying workshops through the Small Business Development Center within the 12 months before the cycle end date. The application also requires completion of the SSCG Business Plan Template, one year of financial documentation (with instructions varying depending on the age or stage of the business), a projection statement covering years two and three, and a business plan review with an approved SSCG Mentor (which must be scheduled at least three weeks before the application due date to allow time for revisions). All application documents are uploaded through the online submission form, and staff review each submission for completeness before it is presented to the Review Committee. Applicants awarded a grant do not need to repay it.

VCEDA operates a Renewable Energy Fund to help attract new green jobs and investment to Southwest Virginia's e-Region and to help diversify its economy. Projects eligible for funding from the Renewable Energy Fund include commercial/industrial generation projects using renewable energy sources; manufacture of renewable energy products and components; and workforce development and training projects to prepare the region’s workforce for renewable energy jobs. Funding is available as low-interest loans and/or grants for real estate acquisition, building construction, equipment purchases, and other physical improvements adding value to real estate, including associated soft costs. Grants are available to assist with workforce development and training, including tuition reimbursement, internships, and training equipment.

The Virginia AFID Infrastructure Grant Program provides Virginia political subdivisions with competitive reimbursement grants of up to $50,000 per project to fund community infrastructure development projects that support local food production and sustainable agriculture. Administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) through the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID), the program is designed to build community-level infrastructure that primarily benefits smaller, newer, or limited-resource farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, and startup food enterprises. Grants are awarded through semi-annual funding rounds (a fall round with awards typically announced by December 31 and a spring round with awards typically announced by June 30). Grantees have two years from the award announcement to complete their project, with a possible one-year extension. Priority project types include locally owned processing facilities such as commercial kitchens, packaging and labeling facilities, and animal slaughtering facilities, along with farmers markets, food hubs, and other agricultural aggregation facilities. Additional consideration is given to projects that benefit multiple small-scale agricultural producers and to projects located in economically distressed communities. Eligible costs include building construction and renovation, contractual services and installation costs, special-purpose equipment (such as canners, hulling processors, packing and labeling equipment, and delivery vehicles), and salaries and wages proportional to the project. Purchases of land or new buildings, marketing costs, general-purpose equipment, and educational expenses are not eligible. Applications must be made by a Virginia political subdivision (counties, cities, towns, Industrial and Economic Development Authorities, or Planning District Commissions), and applications may be submitted on behalf of more than one locality, provided each applicant contributes matching funds and a single political subdivision serves as the lead applicant and grant administrator. The program generally requires a dollar-for-dollar (1:1) match, though Economically Distressed Localities and projects benefiting multiple small-scale agricultural producers qualify for a reduced 2:1 match. Up to 50 percent of the required match may be provided in-kind or through other matching funds, including federal grants, nonprofit contributions, and funds from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Applicants may hold multiple active AFID Infrastructure Program grants but are eligible for only one grant award per grant round and must be in good standing with any prior AFID awards.

The Superior Small Business Grant Program provides Superior, Wisconsin small businesses with reimbursement of up to 50% of project costs, not to exceed $20,000, to fund storefront and streetscape improvements that beautify and stabilize the city's commercial corridors. Administered by the City of Superior's Planning & Development Department, the program prioritizes aesthetic improvements that enhance the appearance of local storefronts. Eligible applicants include privately owned businesses with a commercial storefront or brick-and-mortar location, nonprofits directly related to money-generating food service or retail organizations, and nonprofit arts and entertainment organizations. Grant applications are reviewed quarterly and require approval from both the Plan Commission and the Common Council. Awardees have 12 months to complete their project and submit receipts for reimbursement. Previous recipients must wait three years from the date of grant disbursement before being eligible to apply again.

The Generating Income for Tomorrow (G.I.F.T.) Grant is designed to accelerate the growth of African American-owned businesses in Kansas City. It provides both capital and coaching to small businesses that demonstrate the potential for job creation and community impact. Grants for eligible businesses in the amount of $10,000 are available multiple times per year. There’s also an annual $100,000 grant awarded each year in July. Businesses must be at least 51 percent Black-owned and must be geographically located within the Kansas City, MO, city limits.