SCRA Academic Startup Grant

The Queens Flash Grants program awards Queens, New York small businesses with $1,000 microgrants to help solve small but nagging business problems (fixing a broken AC unit, updating an outdated menu, replacing a worn awning, or covering similar minor operational needs where margins simply do not leave room for the expense). Five grants are awarded per cycle. Administered by the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC), a nonprofit that has supported Queens businesses since 1977, and sponsored by Maspeth Federal Savings, the program is intentionally designed to be quick, low-friction, and accessible to small operators who may not have the bandwidth for lengthy grant applications. The application process is intentionally simple: applicants must complete a standard QEDC client intake form and submit a single-paragraph pitch describing how they would use the money by the program's deadline. Winners are selected at the sole discretion of QEDC and Maspeth Federal Savings, and applications do not guarantee funding. To qualify, applicants must be a business currently operating in Queens or with imminent plans to open in Queens. Home-based businesses run by Queens residents are eligible. Nonprofits, government entities, political organizations, and private individuals are not eligible. All applicants agree to receive communications from QEDC and Maspeth Federal Savings about this initiative and other programs, and consent to QEDC and Maspeth Federal Savings using their name, business description, and relevant imagery in marketing and communications related to the program if selected.

The Affordable Commercial Tenanting (ACT) Grant provides Portland property owners and small business owners with reimbursement grants of up to $300,000 to fund tenant improvements, space related soft costs, and permitting support needed to ready a commercial space for opening. Administered by Prosper Portland, the city's economic development agency, the program is designed to facilitate access to affordable commercial space and support inclusive small business growth by helping local entrepreneurs move into ground floor storefronts at a lower cost. The grant is currently available for properties located within the Interstate Corridor and Gateway Regional Center Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Districts, though the program may expand to other areas of the city in the future. To qualify, the property owner must agree to provide the small business with a minimum three year lease that includes at least one of the following: a lease rate 10 to 25 percent below market, a period of rent abatement, or capped rent escalations during the affordable rate period. The property must be ground floor and zoned for commercial or mixed use. Eligible business owners must demonstrate at least two years of business experience and meet criteria related to displacement, limited access to capital, first generation business ownership, or location within a low income census tract. Funds may be used for hard costs to ready the space (such as standard finishes, signage, landscaping, lighting, and security upgrades), up to $25,000 for soft costs like design and permitting fees, and up to $25,000 for predevelopment work. Operating expenses, inventory, and non permanent fixtures are not eligible. Property management companies, mobile businesses, e-commerce businesses, and cannabis businesses are not eligible to apply.

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.

The Maryland Community Investment Venture (MCIV) Fund was created to accelerate the adoption of financial innovations that enhance access to capital and financial services for small business owners in low- to moderate-income (LMI) communities. The MCIV Fund provides grant dollars to fintech firms to pilot products and services in partnership with Maryland state-chartered financial institutions.

The Additive Voucher Program (AVP) provides companies with a matching grant to assist with the acquisition of Additive Manufacturing technology. Eligible companies can apply for a grant up to $20,000 for Additive Manufacturing Hardware, Software, and related third-party integration services. Funding is awarded on a first-come first-served basis. The program is administered by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology with funding provided through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's Manufacturing Innovation Fund.