NCEdge Customized Training Program

The South Carolina Department of Commerce provides the Relentless Challenge (RC) Grant Program. This is a statewide competitive scheme that plans to award approximately $1,000,000 for the 2026 funding cycle. The RC grant funds projects that foster a sustainable innovation ecosystem and that focus on high growth/high impact entrepreneurship, talent development, access to capital, and university/industry collaborations. Matching funds are available up to a maximum of $75,000.

Binc helps bookstore owners, booksellers, and comic store employees and owners with unforeseen emergency financial needs. The Foundation assesses each request to determine how best to provide relief. If approved, grants are typically paid to third-party vendors.

Business Training Grants support Wyoming businesses seeking to enhance employee skills or address a specific skill deficiency required for their current job. Grant funds must not replace existing funds already earmarked for training purposes, and the skills to be acquired must better position the business to remain competitive in its industry marketplace. Funding limits are as follows: $2,000 per trainee, $3,000 per trainee for select industries, $75,000 per business, with all totals being per fiscal year.

The Rock Solid Fund, administered by the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, provides grants to Nantucket-based small businesses to ensure their contribution toward a strong island economy. Ideally, applicants will use funds to execute an innovative project to ensure the growth and economic stability of their own business while creating a positive role model for others in the entrepreneurial community.

The Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (CEA) Grant provides creative entrepreneurs in southwestern Pennsylvania with $2,000 in funding plus small business consulting services to help start or grow a for-profit creative business. Administered by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council the grant serves applicants in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties who work in creative fields including marketing, architecture, visual arts and crafts, design, film and media, digital games, music and entertainment, and publishing. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside in one of the four covered counties, generate less than $200,000 in gross revenue from the creative business, and not have received CEA funding in the past three years. Before applying, applicants must schedule a free consultation and business plan review with one of the program's designated Referral Coordinators, who help applicants develop the approved business plan required as part of the application. Nonprofits are not eligible.