Reimagine Oregon Grant

The Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grant Program supports a variety of activities associated with promoting the growth and sustainability of local food and seafood industries in Rhode Island. Maximum grant awards are $20,000 for qualifying farms, businesses, and individuals. Funding priorities include, but are not limited to, new or existing agricultural or fishery businesses, new product development, safety improvements, or the development of new marketing, promotion, sales, and distribution channels.

The South Side Pitch is an annual Shark Tank-style pitch competition that awards over $40,000 in total cash prizes to small business owners on the South Side of Chicago. Hosted by the Institute for Justice (IJ) Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School (a nonprofit clinic that provides free legal assistance, resources, and advocacy for underserved Chicago-area entrepreneurs), the competition is now in its 12th year and has awarded more than $291,000 to over 1,300 South Side businesses since launching. Each year, over 100 applicants compete for one of five finalist spots, and all five finalists are guaranteed a cash prize at the end of the live event. The prize structure includes a $15,000 first place award, $10,000 for second place, $6,000 for third place, $3,000 for fourth place, and $1,500 for fifth place. Additional cash awards include the Audience Favorite Award ($1,500 for the finalist who receives the highest audience score), the South Side Sensation Award ($3,000 for the finalist who demonstrates exemplary social impact and showmanship), and the Rustandy Center Social Impact Award ($2,500 for a finalist selected by staff from the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business). Applicants apply during an open window each summer, with semifinalists selected from the applicant pool and asked to submit a video pitch. The public votes on the semifinalist videos to determine the People's Choice, who receives a guaranteed spot to compete in the final live event alongside the other finalists selected by IJ. Finalists receive pitch coaching from the IJ Clinic and pitching experts before delivering their pitches live to a citywide audience and a panel of judges at the Polsky Exchange North on the University of Chicago campus.

The LiftFund Disaster Relief Program provides small businesses recovering from natural disasters with a combination of grants, 0% interest loans, and hands-on technical assistance to help them rebuild and reopen quickly. Administered by LiftFund — a San Antonio-based nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has supported disaster recovery efforts since Hurricane Katrina — the program operates through individual sub-programs created in response to specific disasters, each developed in partnership with local foundations, donors, and community organizations. Because each sub-program is uniquely designed around the conditions and needs of an affected region, the specific grant amounts, loan terms, eligibility criteria, and funding pathways vary by disaster, but each program is typically built around the same core components: direct grant funding to help cover rebuilding expenses, replacement costs for damaged equipment, and general operating expenses; 0% interest loans with flexible terms, waived origination fees, and flexible collateral requirements to bridge gaps that grants alone cannot cover; and technical assistance such as one-on-one coaching, workshops, and help navigating the application process. Applicants are generally evaluated on both physical damage and economic injury caused by the disaster, and businesses that did not sustain direct property damage may still qualify if they experienced a measurable decline in revenue. Recent active sub-programs have served businesses in Kerr County and San Angelo, Texas, as well as the broader Hill Country region. Interested business owners should check LiftFund's Special Programs page for the disaster relief programs currently accepting applications.

This grant fosters greater economic development activity in Rural Texas by encouraging and enabling rural woman-owned, small businesses to undertake new and innovative projects. A total of ten grants for $10,000, totaling $100,000, will be given.

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) internship program provides grant awards to Iowa businesses to help them support and grow student internship opportunities in STEM fields with the goal of transitioning student interns to full-time employment in Iowa upon graduation. Eligible employers may qualify for awards up to $50,000 per fiscal year.