Start.Pivot.Grow Grant

The ROI Jamestown (Reinvestment for Opportunity & Impact) Grant Program provides Jamestown, New York commercial property owners and tenants with reimbursement grants of up to $50,000 to make improvements to their facilities and operations. Administered by the City of Jamestown's Department of Development and funded through federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program is designed to facilitate the revitalization of Jamestown's commercial buildings and businesses, encourage economic growth, secure private investment, promote small businesses and entrepreneurship, and ultimately sustain and create jobs. The program is competitive, with grants awarded on a quarterly basis as funding permits. Grant funds may be used for building improvements, permanently installed fixtures and equipment, permanently affixed signage, ADA accessibility improvements, and interior commercial buildouts. Eligible improvements include painting, exterior refinishing, doors, windows, lighting, roof repair, brick repointing, HVAC, handicap-accessible improvements to restrooms, entrances, and ramps, and machinery permanently affixed to the building (available only when the applicant is both the deeded property owner and the business owner). A portion of grant funds may be used for building acquisition on a case-by-case basis, subject to strict job creation requirements. Residential rental buildings (unless connected to a mixed-use building), home-based businesses, financial institutions, nationally dominant chains and franchises, and structures outside Jamestown city limits are not eligible. To qualify, the property must be located within the City of Jamestown's census tracts and be found code-compliant by the City's Building and Code Enforcement Officer, and all City and School taxes and Board of Public Utilities (BPU) accounts must be paid in full. Property owners must provide a copy of their deed, and tenants must provide their lease agreement. Priority is given to commercial buildings in the Downtown Business District, City corridors, and industrial buildings occupied by businesses that will maintain or create employment. Applicants must demonstrate financial viability by providing 12-month and 3-year cash flow projections, or a Profit and Loss statement covering the last two years. Grant recipients must commit to remaining in the location for at least three years for grants of $15,000 or less, and at least five years for larger awards. Business tenants must document these commitments in a signed lease. All applications must include two sets of estimates for the work to be completed, and all estimates involving labor over $2,000 must include prevailing wage. Applicants are also required to self-certify that they are in good standing with the Department of Labor and Department of Environmental Protection. Deeded property owners who receive grant funding must sign a Five-Year Anti-Speculation Agreement, which is recorded as a lien with the Chautauqua County Clerk's Office; if the property is sold within five years of the last grant disbursement, a portion of the grant must be repaid (with the repayment amount decreasing each year). Buildings located in the Downtown Historic District or with an individual historic designation must obtain a No Adverse Effect letter from the State Historic Preservation Office before any work begins. Grant funds may be disbursed either as reimbursement to the applicant for paid invoices, or paid directly to the contractor through a signed Contractor's Agreement.

The Lifting Up Small Businesses in Woodbridge Grant provides Woodbridge, New Jersey small businesses with $5,000 grants to support business expansion and growth-related activities, with 25 businesses selected to receive funding. Administered through a partnership between Optimum Business and the Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce, the program is designed to strengthen and empower the local small business community and foster broader economic growth across the Woodbridge area. To be eligible, applicants must operate a business with a brick-and-mortar location in one of ten designated Woodbridge zip codes, have 10 or fewer full-time employees, and be in good standing with all federal, state, and local laws and taxing jurisdictions. Eligible business entity types include Business Corporations, Not-for-Profit Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, and Sole Proprietorships. Each applicant must designate a Primary Contact who is at least 18 years old, owns at least 51 percent (or is the largest equity owner) of the business, and is duly authorized to apply on behalf of the company. All applicants must agree to a background check. Previous Lifting Up Small Business Grant recipients are not eligible to reapply. Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce membership and Optimum Business customer status are not considered in the evaluation, and applicants who are not current Chamber members receive a 6-month complimentary membership upon applying. Grant funds may be used solely for business expansion and growth-related activities and cannot be used to pay past or existing debt. Approved grants are distributed by check made out to the business.

The Rooted In Growth Grant awards four U.S.-based hair care businesses with $50,000 each in flexible grant funding, plus access to a founder-focused mentorship program, networking opportunities with industry leaders, and brand visibility across amika's and Fifteen Percent Pledge's marketing channels. Presented by amika, a professional haircare brand, in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge (a racial equity and economic justice nonprofit that calls on major retailers and corporations to commit at least 15 percent of their shelf space, sales revenue, and annual spend to Black-owned businesses), the program is built to back the next generation of underrepresented professional haircare founders with capital and structured support. The program is aimed at founders from communities that have historically been overlooked by traditional funding streams. Eligible underserved founders include (but are not limited to) those from Black, African, or African American, AAPI, Hispanic, Latino, Latina, or Latinx, or LGBTQIA+ backgrounds, as well as parents with earned income below the poverty level, first-generation immigrants, and women. Founders from any background traditionally overlooked by traditional funding may apply regardless of race. Acceptance of the grant carries a commitment to fully participate in amika's Rooted In Growth mentorship and networking program, which spans several months and includes an in-person kickoff event at amika HQ in New York City, virtual mentorship sessions three times per month, and participation in a major industry trade show. Travel and accommodations for in-person events are covered by amika. To qualify, applicants must operate in the hair care space (tools, wigs, color, extensions, or products), currently sell a CPG product, be U.S.-based with annual revenue under $2.5 million, and be at least 51 percent owned by underserved founders. Applicants must currently sell to or aspire to expand into professional distribution channels such as salon distributors or direct-to-stylist. Additional requirements include a clear mission of inclusivity and community impact, products that reflect inclusive values and consumer needs, and readiness to share their story and engage in the mentorship and brand-building components of the program. Applications are reviewed by a joint committee composed of members from the Fifteen Percent Pledge and amika, and finalists are selected based on the strength of the founder's story, mission, and purpose, business viability and opportunity for growth, clear demonstration of community impact and inclusive values, and readiness for brand amplification and storytelling.

The purpose of the PACE Program is to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in Registered Apprenticeship programs. These pre-apprenticeship programs have a documented partnership with at least one Registered Apprenticeship program sponsor that is committed to hiring from the pre-apprenticeship program within 18 months from the start of the contract period of performance, and together, they expand the participant's career pathway opportunities with industry-based training coupled with classroom instruction. The program will drive economic development through skills and educational attainment and create pathways to better-paying careers and advanced credentials. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Office of Apprenticeship seeks to encourage the growth of career pathway opportunities for people disconnected from employment, training, and education. Within the workforce development system, pre-apprenticeships serve a critical role for people to acquire career-specific skills, advance work-readiness, and connect them to longer-term career opportunities. Eligible applicants can apply for funding up to $8,000 per participant.

The VEGI program provides performance-based cash incentives to businesses that are expanding in, or relocating to, Vermont. Businesses can earn incentives for creating new qualifying jobs, increasing payroll, and making capital investments that go beyond typical growth. There are no restrictions on business size, type, or minimum number of jobs.