NYC Neighborhood Business Grant

The AT&T Small Business Contest awards a total of $70,000 in grant funding across five U.S. small business owners each year, with one grand prize winner receiving $50,000 and four runners-up receiving $5,000 each. Administered by AT&T as part of its She's Connected by AT&T brand campaign, the contest is now open to all eligible small business owners regardless of gender, and is designed to spotlight leaders making a real impact in their communities. Now in its 4th year, the contest has awarded grant funding to 11 small businesses across the United States to date. Beyond the $50,000 cash grant, the grand prize winner receives a year of AT&T service with a new device, mentorship resources geared toward making a local impact, access to a community of small business owners, and the opportunity to share their small business story in a custom AT&T content piece alongside She's Connected by AT&T talent. Runners-up receive their $5,000 cash grant only. To qualify, applicants must own a certified small business located in the United States or Puerto Rico, and must be the sole or majority owner. AT&T defines a small business as an organization with one to five locations and 99 or fewer full-time or part-time employees. Applicants must be at least the age of majority in their state at the time of entry. Nonprofit organizations that also run a for-profit business are eligible to apply if they meet AT&T's small business criteria. Previous applicants are encouraged to reapply, and each eligible business may submit only one contest entry per year.

The Activate Downtown Grant Program (formally known as the Ground Floor Tenant Build-Out Matching Grant Program) provides property owners and business tenants in Downtown New Orleans with matching grants of up to $20,000 (covering 50 percent of eligible project costs) to activate long-vacant ground-floor commercial storefronts. Administered by the Downtown Development District (DDD) of New Orleans, the program is designed to reduce a common barrier to opening a brick-and-mortar business (the upfront cost of preparing a vacant commercial space for a new tenant) while revitalizing commercial corridors, promoting natural surveillance, and increasing pedestrian activity throughout downtown. Eligible improvements include interior build-outs, demolition and shell reconstruction, ADA accessibility improvements, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and lighting upgrades, storefront entryways, doors, and display windows, signage, exterior storefront lighting, security improvements (alarms, cameras, security glazing, and DDD-approved exterior lighting), permits, materials, and contracted labor. To qualify, the project must involve a ground-floor tenant space located within the Downtown Development District boundary with direct frontage on and pedestrian access from public rights-of-way, and the space must have been vacant for at least one year. Tenants may occupy no more than 10,000 square feet of ground-floor area, and applicants must demonstrate site control through a proposed lease, executed letter of intent, purchase agreement, act of sale, or option agreement. National credit tenants and franchise concepts are not eligible, defined as any business that is publicly traded, holds an investment-grade credit rating, operates more than 10 locations across multiple states, or is a subsidiary or affiliate of a company meeting any of these criteria. A wide range of business types are also ineligible, including tattoo parlors, check cashing, bail bonds, sexually oriented businesses, churches, convenience stores, locksmiths, pawnbrokers, smoke shops, wedding chapels, shooting ranges, self-storage, private clubs, and membership-driven enterprises. Ineligible expenses include furniture and equipment not permanently affixed to the space, inventory, business operations costs, property acquisition, working capital, and professional fees. Grants are awarded through a competitive scoring process that weighs vacancy duration, Canal Street corridor location, safety and crime prevention features, project readiness, and small business impact, and are disbursed on a reimbursement basis after project completion, verification, and issuance of an occupational license. Tenants must sign a lease of at least 24 months and remain open and operating for at least 12 continuous months following project completion.

Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grants are designed to attract competitive projects to Virginia. Projects must be significant, creating hundreds of jobs in Virginia by relocating headquarters, administrative, or service sector operations to Virginia. Depending on location and wages offered, companies must create between 200 and 400 jobs, ranging from 150 to 200 percent of the local prevailing wage, and meet minimum capital or job investment requirements. Award amounts vary and are calculated based on a return-on-investment analysis, jobs and wages, capital investment, regional unemployment and poverty figures, and more.

The Inclusive Beauty Fund will award 12 grants of $25,000 each to beauty businesses and entrepreneurs across the United States–including extension artists, braiders, aestheticians, barbers, salon owners, suite owners, students, and stylists. The grants will be administered in partnership with the NAACP's Economic Empowerment Fund and Hispanic Federation through Deed, a leading social impact platform. Open to all, the goal of the program is to support all members of the beauty industry with a focus small business growth and increasing overall economic opportunity.

The Cultural STAR Program provides grants and loans to Saint Paul cultural projects and organizations. Most projects are located in the Saint Paul Cultural District (bordered by I-94 to the north, the Lafayette Bridge to the east, the Mississippi River to the south, and Chestnut Road to the west). Cultural STAR grows Saint Paul's economy by strengthening the arts and cultural sector and supporting downtown as a vital cultural center.