OR Rural & Agricultural Energy Grant

The purpose of the GAINS program is to promote the expansion and development of United States Department of Labor (USDOL) approved Registered Apprenticeship programs that drive economic development through skills and educational attainment and create pathways to better-paying careers and advanced credentials. While this NGO describes fourteen (14) sectoral/occupational areas of focus, all occupations that are recognized by US DOL as “apprenticeable” are encouraged to apply. Eligible applicants can request funding up to $12,000 per registered apprentice.

Intern Nebraska gives grants to businesses that hire eligible student interns. Eligible businesses can get 50% of their internship expenses reimbursed, up to $7,500 per internship. To qualify, businesses need to be located in Nebraska, employ a student intern in a technical position, and pay at least the state minimum hourly wage. Businesses with fewer than 150 full-time employees are eligible for reimbursements on wages, tuition, internship housing, transportation expenses, and recruitment or admin costs. Businesses with more than 150 employees are eligible for all of the above except the wages paid to interns.

Black entrepreneurs continue to face systemic barriers when it comes to accessing funding to grow their businesses. Fifteen Percent Pledge is working to address this challenge by supplying Black-owned businesses with no-strings-attached funding to accelerate and sustain their success. For the third year in a row, Fifteen Percent Pledge is partnering with Shop with Google to provide $250,000 in grant funding to unlock the next horizon of growth for three Black-owned businesses. The winner of the Achievement Award will also receive mentoring and pro-bono consulting services from industry leaders.

The Small Business Lease Grant supports the growth and success of small businesses and nonprofits by providing grant funding to cover a portion of lease payments. These resources will help the establishment and growth of small businesses, while also helping to fill space that is currently vacant and preventing future vacancies. The Grant is being funded through the Main Street Recovery Finance Program (NJ Economic Recovery Act).

The NM Food Pathways Grant Program provides New Mexico food retailers and community food organizations with grants of $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 (with approximately $500,000 available in total funding per cycle) to strengthen their operations and expand access to healthy, affordable, and locally sourced foods. Administered by the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) through its Food, Hunger, and Agriculture Program, and supported by federal Healthy Food Financing Initiative-aligned funding streams, the program is designed to support practical, implementation-ready projects that improve how staple and perishable foods are stored, handled, and sold, with a particular focus on rural, Tribal, frontier, and underserved communities. Eligible projects typically include improved refrigeration and cold storage, better merchandising and display equipment, food safety enhancements, and tools that support SNAP access, and can support small grocers, cooperative markets, mobile markets, and other community-serving retail models. Applicants are strongly encouraged to focus on equipment purchases and operational infrastructure improvements within existing facilities to minimize compliance requirements, since projects involving minor construction or building modifications may trigger NEPA or other environmental review obligations under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200). Competitive preference is given to projects that demonstrate readiness for near-term implementation, strengthen long-term retail operational capacity and sustainability, deliver clear and measurable improvements in food access for low-access communities, emphasize increasing the availability of locally produced foods, and maximize impact through practical investments rather than general infrastructure development. The program uses a two-step application process: interested organizations first submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) through the Submittable platform describing their organization, project, and community impact, and selected applicants are then invited to submit a full application including a detailed project narrative, budget and budget justification, organizational capacity information, and supporting documentation. Awards are reimbursement-based, with awardees required to submit invoices, receipts, and supporting documentation for all approved expenses before reimbursement is processed.