NJ Growing Apprenticeship in Nontraditional Sectors (GAINS)

The Downtown Johnson City Micro-Grants provide downtown Johnson City, Tennessee businesses and property owners with annual grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 to help grow, enhance their spaces, and bring new energy to the downtown district. Administered by Connect Downtown Johnson City, Inc., the program awards funding across three categories tailored to different types of downtown investment. -Business Improvement Grants ($1,500 to $4,000) support improvements to the appearance, functionality, accessibility, or customer experience of a downtown business, including exterior lighting, outdoor seating, façade improvements, ADA upgrades, and interior renovations. -Business Development Grants ($750 to $3,000) support business growth through new products, services, branding, technology, or other revenue-generating opportunities, including e-commerce tools, pop-up expenses, product launches, equipment, and seasonal expansions. -Downtown Engagement Grants ($250 to $1,500) support events and experiences that draw people downtown, such as workshops, business-hosted events, customer appreciation events, live music, tastings, and collaborative promotions. To be eligible, applicants must be current downtown business or property owners within the Main Street Program Area, or new businesses with an executed lease agreement, and all funded projects must take place at a downtown Johnson City location. Grant funds cannot be used for staff or employee wages, insurance premiums, or utility bills. Applications must include proof of estimates or expense quotes, and funded projects must be completed within six months with all receipts and documentation submitted. If total project expenses come in below the awarded grant amount, any remaining funds must be returned within six months.

The Business Assistance Program (BAP) is a matching grant program designed to encourage small businesses to locate, expand or redevelop in the City of Orlando. BAP provides matching funds to new and expanding businesses in the city to assist in off-setting development fees, including sewer and transportation impact fees, building permit fees, and all elements of public right-of-way infrastructure within the city’s jurisdiction that may require new installation, repair, replacement or relocation. Eligible improvements include, but are not limited to, street lighting and fire hydrant installation/relocation, sidewalk repairs; traffic signalization; water and sewer line construction, removal or relocation; curb, gutter, street improvements and landscaping or installation of publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The Economic Development Department administers and monitors the program, as well as determines eligibility of applicants. The program requires eligible business owners to pay 50 percent of the fees assessed against the business, while the program fund pays the remaining 50 percent up to $20,000.

Businesses in Tampa, Florida can apply for the CRA Commercial grant to improve their properties, including performing internal or external expansions and renovations. To qualify for one of these grants, your business must be located in a designated CRA area. To apply for one of these Florida business grants, you must schedule a pre-application meeting with CRA staff. You can request an appointment by calling the Tampa CRA or submitting an online request.

The Kauaʻi Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant (SBEEG) provides Kauaʻi small businesses with rebates covering the labor costs associated with energy efficiency upgrades at their commercial facilities. Administered by the Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (KEDB) in partnership with the County of Kauaʻi's Office of Economic Development and the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), the grant operates alongside KIUC's Commercial Retrofit Program, with KEDB funding labor costs and KIUC's program covering a percentage of materials costs for the same eligible projects. Together, the two programs are designed to reduce the upfront financial barrier that small businesses face when retrofitting their facilities for energy efficiency. Eligible upgrades include air conditioning, motors, lighting controls, and refrigeration. To qualify, a business must be classified under KIUC Rate Schedule J or G. Grant amounts vary based on the scope of the project, with prior awards ranging from a few hundred dollars to roughly $9,000 per business depending on the upgrade. The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested businesses begin the process by submitting an interest form to KIUC, after which KIUC conducts an energy audit at the business, identifies eligible retrofits, and recommends materials costs it can cover. The business then solicits a contractor quote for installation work, which KEDB reviews to determine the grant amount before the business signs a grant agreement and proceeds with installation. KIUC conducts a final site visit upon completion, after which the business receives its rebate from KEDB.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) invites applications for Clinical Research Center Grants designed to advance the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and amelioration of human sensory and communication disorders. For this announcement, Clinical Research is defined as research involving individuals with a sensory and/or communication disorder, or data/tissues from individuals with a sensory and/or communication disorder. Examples of such research include but are not limited to, studies of the prevention, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, management or epidemiology of a disease or disorder of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, or language. Although the intent is that all the research will involve individuals with sensory and/or communication disorders or data/tissues from individuals with sensory and/or communication disorders, when the clinical research goal(s) warrant(s) limited departures from this intent, alternatives (e.g., non-human research, human subjects without a sensory or communication disorder, human at risk for a sensory and/or communication disorder) are possible with appropriate and strong scientific justification and in consultation with NIDCD staff. Applications may propose a low-risk clinical trial but are not required to (optional).