Suffolk Small Business Improvement Grant

Main Street Iowa offers the Open 4 Business program to encourage business development in designated Main Street districts. The Open 4 Business contest launched in 2015, is an opportunity for businesses located within the Main Street district, to compete for a chance to win grant funds to assist with a business development or expansion project that will help you grow your business. Businesses will be required to complete an online application and submit a short video (3-minute maximum time limit) outlining your business idea and how it will benefit the local economic climate in our community. A 25% cash match is required. Businesses must have been in operation for at least 1 year to apply. The grant funds are administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa program.

The CO-100 is an annual small business recognition program administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, open to for-profit U.S. businesses with fewer than 250 employees and under $20 million in annual revenue. 100 businesses are selected as honorees across 10 categories including Growth Accelerators, Community Champions, Tech Innovators, and others. From those 100, 10 Top Honorees are chosen, and one is named America's Top Small Business of the Year. The grand prize winner receives $25,000 cash. Each of the 10 Top Honorees receives $2,000 cash. The remaining 90 honorees receive a one-year U.S. Chamber of Commerce membership (valued at $250). Applicants compete across up to five categories and are judged in three rounds on open-ended questions, multiple choice assessments, and digital presence.

The Wisconsin Training for Resilient Advanced Industry Needs (WisTRAIN) Grant provides Wisconsin employers with competitive grant funding to deliver employer-driven, occupational skills training focused on advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI). Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and funded through approximately $7 million in federal dollars secured by the Evers Administration via the U.S. Department of Labor's Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund, the program is open to employers of any size operating in Wisconsin. WisTRAIN supports a broad range of worker training programs, including apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, with a focus on equipping the state's workforce with skills aligned to rapidly evolving technologies such as data analytics, cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, and robotics. Eligible employers must operate in Wisconsin, propose training that supports occupations, technologies, or workforce needs related to advanced manufacturing, AI, or related emerging industries, and commit to employing trainees in Wisconsin-based positions. The program is part of Governor Evers' broader Workforce Solutions Initiative and aligns with recommendations from the Governor's Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence, which was established in 2023 to study how AI will transform business, education, and other key sectors of the state economy.

The Program supports the growth of very small meat and poultry processors in the Commonwealth. It does this by offering grants. The grants cover costs associated with opening a new processing operation or the expansion of a current operation. The grants can also be used to cover the costs of getting a USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) inspection. Grants are limited to no more than $100,000 per applicant.

Pathway to Opportunity is a competition designed to connect small businesses with corporations seeking to expand their supply chain with innovative products and services. Through Pathway to Opportunity, we aim to do more than provide a seat at the table—we strive to open doors and build relationships that can lead to long-term, sustainable contracts. Finalists are selected to pitch their businesses in front of a virtual audience, and three winners receive prizes of $5,000.