SF Storefront Opportunity Grant

The Business Initiation Grant provides qualifying, new business startups with a "leg up" at their most critical time. The grant offers up to $5,000 for startup costs to qualified applicants. The entrepreneur is required to participate in a business planning workshop through one of Englewood's economic partners. The business owner must have a fully developed business plan which will be reviewed by the experts at the Aurora-South Small Business Development Center. Grant funding may be used for any valid purpose and a physical storefront or business presence in a commercial or industrial district is required. Capital improvements are permanent investments in the building or on the property, which are generally associated with a building permit. Businesses opened in Englewood within the last 12 months are eligible to apply. Grant funding is limited, and not all businesses that apply may be funded.

The award was created in honor of Mother’s Day and Founder’s First CEO Kim Folsom‘s mother, Catherine “Kitty” Abrams Tadlock Webster, who passed away in March of 2020. The Kitty Fund makes small micro investments in Moms who are running employer-based small businesses with two or more employees.

The Cybersecurity Adoption Program (CAP) is designed to support Connecticut manufacturing companies seeking Cyber Security assessments and CMMC Certification. The goal is to help companies striving to meet federal cybersecurity requirements. Up to $10K can used for a Cyber Assessment with the balance allocated to remediation. Eligible companies can apply for grant funding up to $35,000 in total to assist with cyber security assessments and CMMC adoption. Participating companies must pay half the cost. 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.

The Halstead Grant is an annual award for emerging silver jewelry artists. Applicants submit answers to 15 business questions in addition to their design portfolios. The experience is designed to help jewelry entrepreneurs create a strategy to kick-start their careers. The grand prize is a $7,500 cash grant plus other benefits.

The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) Member Companies may apply for a variety of non-dilutive grants, each with its own eligibility and review criteria. The Academic Startup Grant is focused on startups advancing intellectual property from institutions of higher education. Managed by the Academic Innovations team, the objective of the Academic Startup Grant is to provide earlystage funding to academic startups to support one or more critical milestones towards commercialization and to advance the company’s pursuit of follow-on funding. Key milestones include developing the technology past the minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrating product-market fit, in the DEVELOP stage of startup development. Academic Startup Grants provide funding for up to $25,000.