Pay it Forward Grant

The 2026 WeddingPro Grant Program is a $500,000 investment designed to support wedding small businesses through financial grants, advertising support, mentorship, and education. Each business will be elligible to receive grants between $10,000 and $50,000 as well as one year of free advertising on The Knot and WeddingWire. The program is open to US-based wedding professionals who operate a small business and earn a meaningful portion of their income from weddings.

Food Export USA–Northeast (Food Export–Northeast) is a nonprofit organization created in 1973 as a cooperative effort between 10 Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Export’s goal is to provide a wide range of services to facilitate trade between Northeastern food suppliers and importers around the world. With the Branded Program, you may double your budget with 50% cost reimbursement on: -International website development -Foreign market-compliant packaging and labels -Advertising and public relations -In-store promotions and product demonstrations -Fees for exhibiting at select overseas and domestic trade shows -Marketing and point-of-sale materials -Freight costs for product samples

This program will provide a state match to companies that have received a Phase I award through a federal SBIR or STTR grant program. The maximum award under this program may not exceed $50,000. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the total grant shall be remitted to the business upon receipt of the SBIR/STTR Phase I award and application for funds. The remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of the total grant shall be remitted to the business upon submission by the business of the Phase II application to the federal funding agency and acceptance of the Phase I report by the federal funding agency. This program is utilizing state funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Louisiana’s High-Impact Jobs Program (HIP) offers qualifying companies reimbursable grants for the creation of new jobs that pay above the parish (county) average wage. Companies of all sizes can benefit from grants administered directly by Louisiana Economic Development, with higher wages yielding higher grants.

This program gives grants to businesses in Salem’s Riverfront Downtown area to improve their building safety and security to address homelessness. Companies can get up to $30,000 to use on security fencing/gates, exterior building lighting or security systems, trash/recycling enclosures, landscaping, interior lighting for storefronts, and building entrance improvements/