Philadelphia Commercial Real Estate Acquisition Program

The Seattle Small Business Capital Access Program (CAP) pays down up to $30,000 (or 20% of the loan principal, whichever is less) on qualifying small business loans for Seattle-based businesses. Administered by the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED), the program is designed to lower the cost of borrowing for small businesses, particularly those that have historically lacked equitable access to financial services. CAP is not a standalone grant application and businesses do not apply directly. Instead, eligibility is evaluated by a participating community lender at the time of loan approval, and qualifying borrowers receive the principal paydown automatically as part of their financing. Because of this, the most important step for interested business owners is knowing to work with one of CAP's participating community lenders when seeking a small business loan; loans from non-participating lenders are not eligible. Participating lenders include Business Impact NW, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, Seattle Credit Union, MoFi, Grow America Community Impact Loan Fund, Pursuit, Evergreen Business Capital and Community Finance, and Denkyem Co-Op. Paydowns are issued in two installments — one after the borrower makes 12 on-time monthly payments, and a second after 24 on-time monthly payments — and are applied directly to the loan account rather than disbursed to the borrower, effectively reducing the principal owed. To be eligible, businesses must be for-profit, independently owned, located within Seattle city limits, in operation for at least 12 months, have an active City of Seattle Business License, employ no more than 50 full-time equivalent employees, generate annual gross revenue of $2 million or less, and be current on loan payments at the time of the paydown award.

The GO TEXAN Marketing Enhancement Grant Assistance (MEGA) Program is designed to provide grant funds to GO TEXAN partners to assist with the marketing and promotion of certified Texas agricultural products, including those that have been produced, processed, or otherwise had value added to the product in Texas; certified Texas non-agricultural products; Associate GO TEXAN Registrants; and the GO TEXAN Program. Applicants may request up to $40,000 for promotional activities, such as direct mailing campaigns, newspaper advertisements, tradeshow fees, and website creation. Qualifying products must be products produced, processed, or value added in Texas. Selected grant projects will receive funding via cost reimbursement.

SFPUC customers can qualify to receive a rebate of up to $1,000 for the purchase of eligible water-efficient commercial grade clothes washers installed in laundromats, commercial properties, or common area laundry rooms of multi-family properties.

In order to encourage economic development and maintain the traditional small town character of Jacksonville’s city square, the Jacksonville Commercial Development Authority (CDA) is announcing a Facade Improvement Grant Program for buildings within the Public Square Overlay District. Limited funding is available and an application process is required. The purpose of the Grant Program is to rehabilitate and/or restore commercial buildings to historically compatible exterior design and encourage new investment and commercial development in Jacksonville.

The Marketing Momentum Small Business Grant Program provides Lowcountry, South Carolina small businesses with in-kind marketing services (rather than cash) delivered by professional marketing partners in the community. Administered by Lowcountry Local First (LLF), a nonprofit that supports independently-owned local businesses across the Charleston area, the program connects a small number of qualifying local businesses each year with marketing, branding, design, and PR experts who donate their services to help each recipient tackle a specific marketing challenge or opportunity. Because the grant is delivered as pro bono professional services, project deliverables vary based on the partner and the recipient's needs, with past recipients receiving support in areas such as brand development, PR strategy, communications planning, and customer targeting. To qualify, applicants must be the owner of a for-profit business (501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) entities are not eligible), be at least 18 years old, have been in business and making sales for two years or less (or preparing to launch within the next six months), employ fewer than five full-time employees, and meet LLF's local business membership criteria: privately held, based locally in the Lowcountry with no corporate or national headquarters outside the region, majority owned by individuals who live in the Lowcountry, and operating independently in decisions about the business's name, purchasing, practices, distribution, marketing, and other expenses. Applications are evaluated by an outside review committee based on eligibility, the clarity of the potential project impact on the business's growth and success, and the strength of the business's mission or community give-back. Recipients and their project partners are recognized each year at LLF's annual Good Business Summit in Charleston.