SF Storefront Opportunity Grant

The City of Hercules has allocated $200,000 to attract certain types of desired eating and drinking businesses, and general businesses in larger retail spaces, by helping with move-in costs. The program provides grants of $5,000 (minimum) to $25,000 (maximum) for qualified new eating & drinking establishments, and $50,000 to $100,000 for qualified general businesses in larger spaces. The grant amount must be matched by the applicant.

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 cost of moving can be a significant barrier to relocating for work, often deterring individuals from pursuing new job opportunities. Expenses associated with relocation, such as hiring movers, transportation, temporary housing, and even utility connection fees, can add up quickly. Employers that offer relocation assistance can provide it either in advance or upon arrival, depending on company policies and the nature of the relocation package. Some employers offer upfront assistance, covering expenses like moving services, travel costs, and temporary housing directly, or providing a lump sum payment to help cover costs before the move. This approach is particularly helpful for employees who need financial support to manage the immediate expenses of relocation. Relocation assistance can be a highly effective tool for employers to fill in-demand jobs, especially in industries facing talent shortages. By offering financial support to cover moving expenses, companies can widen their candidate pool to include qualified workers who may otherwise be unable or unwilling to relocate due to the high costs associated with moving. Under this program, Employers can access up to $5,000 of matching funds for each candidate the business is eligible for. A 1:1 match is required. An additional $500 per candidate is available if the applicant is identified in the Find the Good Life Candidate Marketplace. The additional $500 for candidates identified through the Marketplace is not subject to match.

The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is excited to announce that we will accept applications for the FY 2026 Robust Retail Citywide Grants. The FY 2026 Robust Retail Citywide grant(s) support existing DC-based retail businesses in maintaining operations and viability. DSLBD intends to award up to $10,000 per business to approximately 50 businesses from the $500,000 in available Fiscal Year 2026 funding. This grant will be operated as a reimbursement grant, awarded via lottery to DC retail businesses that meet all eligibility requirements by the final deadline. Businesses that received a Robust Retail Citywide award in FY2025 are not eligible to apply.

The Combustion and Fire Systems program is part of the Transport Phenomena cluster, which also includes 1) th eFluid Dynamics program; 2) the Particulate and Multiphase Processes program; and 3) the Thermal Transport Processes program. The goal of the Combustion and Fire Systems program is to create new knowledge to support advances in clean energy, climate change mitigation, a cleaner environment and public safety. The program endeavors to create fundamental scientific knowledge that is needed for safe, clean and useful combustion applications and for mitigating the effects of fire. The program aims to identify and understand the controlling basic principles and to use that knowledge to create predictive capabilities for designing and optimizing practical combustion devices and understanding fire. Important outcomesfor this program include: -broad-based tools — experimental, theoretical, and computational — that can be applied to a variety of problems in combustion technologies and fire; -science and technology for clean and efficient generation of power; -discoveries that enable clean environments (for example, by reduction in combustion-generated pollutants); and -enhanced public safety and climate change mitigation through research on wildland and building fire growth, inhibition, and suppression.