Perry Business Support Grant

The Brooklyn Pitch Competition awards a total of $450,000 in unrestricted grant funding to selected Brooklyn-based businesses, including a $150,000 grand prize and additional finalist awards ranging from $25,000 to $75,000. Administered by the Social Justice Fund (a Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation initiative), the competition is designed for established businesses ready for their next stage of growth and aims to spotlight entrepreneurs who are strengthening Brooklyn's economy, creating jobs, expanding opportunity, and investing in their communities. To be eligible, businesses must be headquartered or primarily operating in Brooklyn, generate between $1 million and $5 million in annual revenue, demonstrate a clear growth strategy and strong potential for expansion, show evidence of innovation, execution capacity, and business momentum, contribute to Brooklyn's economy through job creation, local hiring, community impact, or neighborhood investment, and be prepared to participate in a competitive screening process and a live pitch event if selected as a finalist. In addition to grant funding, selected finalists pitch live at Barclays Center and receive access to investor introductions, capital matchmaking, strategic advisory sessions, and connections to procurement and growth opportunities. Businesses ready to grow, hire, expand their market reach, or deepen their impact in Brooklyn are the program's target applicants.

The NORA Façade RENEW Plus Program provides commercial property owners and business tenants located along priority commercial corridors in New Orleans with matching reimbursement grants to fund high-quality exterior façade improvements that reduce visible blight and align properties with current design standards. Administered by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) and funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the grant covers 85 percent of total eligible project costs, with the applicant responsible for the remaining 15 percent. Grant amounts scale with the size of the property: NORA funds up to $50,000 per 50 linear feet of eligible ground-floor commercial frontage, meaning larger properties can qualify for substantially higher reimbursements (for example, a property with 74 linear feet of frontage may qualify for up to $100,000 in reimbursable improvements). Eligible applicants include commercial property owners and business tenants with property owner consent, all of whom must be in good standing with the City of New Orleans and the Louisiana Secretary of State, have no outstanding taxes, liens, or municipal debts, and must not be debarred from receiving federal assistance. The program is geographically targeted to specific corridors in the Lower Ninth Ward (St. Claude Avenue from the Industrial Canal to the Parish Line) and New Orleans East (designated stretches of Bullard Avenue, Crowder Boulevard, Downman Road, Lake Forest Boulevard, and Read Boulevard). Funded improvements must be exterior façade work that follows HDLC Commercial Design Guidelines, and selected applicants are required to work with a NORA-designated architect to develop the project design, obtain two detailed construction estimates from licensed contractors, and provide proof of funds for the required match before construction begins. The grant is reimbursement-based, with NORA verifying completed work through inspection before disbursing approved costs. All projects carry a minimum five-year compliance period, during which funded improvements must be maintained in good condition and the project location must remain in active commercial use.

The Job Creation Fund provides financial incentives to new and expanding businesses that meet certain job creation and capital investment targets. Companies deemed eligible to participate may receive up to $1 million for creating or retaining high-paying jobs and for constructing or renovating facilities or making other property improvements. In some cases, companies may receive awards of up to $2 million.

The Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (CEA) Grant provides creative entrepreneurs in southwestern Pennsylvania with $2,000 in funding plus small business consulting services to help start or grow a for-profit creative business. Administered by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council the grant serves applicants in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties who work in creative fields including marketing, architecture, visual arts and crafts, design, film and media, digital games, music and entertainment, and publishing. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside in one of the four covered counties, generate less than $200,000 in gross revenue from the creative business, and not have received CEA funding in the past three years. Before applying, applicants must schedule a free consultation and business plan review with one of the program's designated Referral Coordinators, who help applicants develop the approved business plan required as part of the application. Nonprofits are not eligible.

K-GLOBE program assists Kansas companies in boosting their export business through exhibiting products at foreign trade shows and conducting export-related marketing activities. Eligible businesses may receive reimbursement for 50% of eligible direct expenses up $10,000 every fiscal year (July 1-June 30) regardless of previous program award history.