seCTerRise $10k Grant

Aitkin County has two grant opportunities designed to support local businesses. The first opportunity is the Aitkin County Business Development & Recreation Grant Program, which supports projects that enhance tourism, recreation and small business development. Grants range from $100 to $2,000, with a required 1:1 local match and are available to businesses and nonprofit organizations located in or serving Aitkin County. Eligible projects include tourism and recreation events, business attraction efforts and initiatives that promote sustained visitor growth. The second opportunity, the Aitkin County Business Revitalization Grant Program, focuses on supporting for-profit businesses to improve the exterior appearance of their properties. Revitalization grants range from $1,000 to $5,000, also requiring a 1:1 match. Eligible improvements include exterior building upgrades, new or replacement signage and awnings and outdoor aesthetic enhancements. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are depleted, with projects evaluated on creativity, visual impact and community benefit.

Since 2023, The HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), a philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for Black students and 37 HBCUs, have partnered together to host the Better Futures pitch competition. Better Futures is a national showcase of the entrepreneurial excellence booming out of the nation's 100+ HBCUs. The competition features startups led by HBCU students and alumni from the HBCUFI network who are building innovative solutions and creating better futures. The Better Futures pitch competition has traditionally been held at the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. with $25,000 in prizes distributed across the top three winners annually.

The ACDC Business Improvement Grant provides existing Atchison County, Missouri businesses with reimbursed matching grants of up to $2,500 to fund improvement projects that support business growth and development. Administered by the Atchison County Development Corporation (ACDC) and funded through the county's quarter-cent economic development sales tax, the program offers two funding levels: a Basic grant, which reimburses up to 50% of eligible improvement costs to a maximum of $1,000, and a 2.0 grant, which reimburses up to one-third of eligible costs to a maximum of $2,500. Since 2013, the program has assisted with more than 182 projects, leveraging ACDC funds to complete over $1 million in business improvements countywide. Any Atchison County business that is current on taxes and licensure may apply, with businesses eligible for one ACDC grant per location every three years. Projects must be approved before work begins, and grants are issued as reimbursements after completion. Applications are reviewed by a grant committee on a monthly basis and accepted in the order received until all available funds have been awarded.

The Middlesex County Revitalization Commission offers grants to qualified small businesses in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The grants are designed to provide operating assistance for small businesses to continue and grow their operations. This is a five-year grant program. The MCRC Business Operating Grants Program will distribute $200,000 in grants annually from 2023 to 2027. Small businesses (up to 50 employees and under $8 million in revenue) that have been in business for at least two years in a Middlesex County town may be eligible to apply. Businesses may apply for up to $25,000 to help fund projects that spur business growth or mitigate a hardship.

The City of Raleigh's Building Up-fit Grant encourages growth and development by assisting property owners who want to activate their vacant or underutilized commercial building space in Raleigh to create new business use or new jobs. This matching reimbursement program helps small business owners invest in property improvements, by matching up to 50 percent of the qualified construction costs. Businesses can receive up to $25k of reimbursed funding based on qualified expenses.