Northern Tier RISE Grant

The Grant for Revitalizing Office Workspaces (GROW) provides Baltimore County businesses signing their first commercial lease in the county with a one-time grant of $8 per square foot, up to a maximum of $80,000, to help offset initial leasing expenses. Administered by Baltimore County's Department of Economic and Workforce Development, the program is designed to encourage businesses to occupy and revitalize office workspaces across the county. To be eligible, businesses must execute a direct lease with a landlord for a minimum 36-month term on at least 500 square feet of Class A or Class B office space (Class A and Class B Flex space is also considered for businesses with a demonstrated need for laboratory space). Applicants must apply within 180 days of lease execution, have a minimum personal credit score of 625, and have signed their lease after February 14, 2025. Retail, restaurant, independent financial, and insurance agent or broker establishments are not eligible for this program. Awards are issued on a first-come, first-served basis subject to available funding approved by the County Executive and Baltimore County Council.

Women of color entrepreneurs with early-stage businesses that generate less than $50,000 in annual revenue may be eligible for the Waves of Change Grant. Described primarily as a "service-based grant," in which experts will donate their time and services to help recipients grow their business, the grant may also offer a stipend to cover operating costs for one year. Our grant program kicks off in December, and we’ll start diving into the creative work in January. We plan to give you everything you need to launch your business or new brand by June, but we'll always leave wiggle room — because life happens!

The ComEd Small-Medium Business Customer Relief Fund provides eligible small and medium-sized business customers in Illinois with one-time matching grants of up to $500 to help reduce past-due electric bill balances. Administered by ComEd, an Exelon company, the program is designed to support business customers facing financial hardship and help them remain connected to electric service while improving their long-term financial stability. The grant operates as a matching credit: customers first make a payment toward their past-due balance, and ComEd then matches the approved payment amount up to $500, applied directly to the customer's ComEd account. Applicants may request up to 50 percent of their past-due balance, capped at $500, with any application exceeding that amount rejected. If the past-due balance exceeds $500, the customer remains responsible for the remaining amount. To qualify, applicants must be an independently owned and operated business with its principal office in Illinois, have 50 or fewer full-time employees, hold a commercial meter account with active service at the time of application, have a past-due bill balance, and have no unpaid tampering fees or pending bankruptcy. Home-based businesses and nonprofit organizations are not eligible (nonprofits typically qualify for separate relief funds offered by ComEd in alternating years). In addition to the bill credit, approved participants also gain access to a free facility assessment that identifies opportunities to lower energy costs through upgrades to lighting, HVAC, refrigeration, and other systems, along with available incentives to help cover the cost of those improvements.

The Opportunity Council Districts Program, an incentive-based initiative focused on encouraging growth in retail-stagnant areas within City Council Districts 3 and 5. The program will provide funding for property improvements to help businesses expand and attract new investment in Athenas, Alabama. Eligible small businesses can apply for incentive awards of up to $20,000 for one-time, permanent upgrades. The funding is split evenly, with $100,000 allocated to each district.

The Raleigh Facade Rehabilitation Grant Program provides Raleigh small business owners and commercial property owners with matching reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 to refurbish the exteriors of their existing commercial buildings. Administered by the City of Raleigh's Small Business Development division within the Office of Economic and Social Advancement, the program originated in the 1980s to support businesses and property owners in Raleigh's Downtown and older commercial districts, and has since helped more than 100 businesses upgrade their storefronts. Grants reimburse up to 50% of qualified rehabilitation costs, with maximum awards based on location: businesses within Raleigh's Economic Development Priority Areas may receive up to $10,000, while businesses outside those areas may receive up to $5,000. Eligible improvements include the removal of false fronts, repair or replacement of windows, doors, cornices, and façade materials, exterior lighting, exterior painting (when associated with a larger rehabilitation effort), and qualifying art and mural projects including artist fees, labor, and materials. Routine maintenance, interior projects, residential properties, projects located outside Raleigh, and projects already permitted or underway are not eligible. Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, and façade improvements must be clearly visible from public streets. Applicants must complete a pre-application to determine eligibility before being invited to submit a full application.