Texas Enterprise Fund

The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown awards a $100,000 grand prize cash grant plus a package of in-kind services to one independent retail entrepreneur to help open a brick-and-mortar storefront in Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park. Administered by TechTown Detroit and sponsored by Comerica Bank, the contest is built around the concept of "crowd entrepreneurship," giving Detroit residents an active role in the city's redevelopment by voting for their favorite finalists in successive elimination rounds. The application process narrows applicants down from the full pool to a Top 25, Top 10, and Top 4, with public voting playing a major role in determining the eventual winner during a live "Hatch Off" event. The contest is focused exclusively on independent brick-and-mortar retail concepts, including stores, bars, restaurants, studios, gyms, and other retail-driven businesses, and is intended to revitalize commercial corridors, activate vacant spaces, and spur further community investment. Food trucks and franchise stores are not eligible, though social enterprises and L3Cs may apply if they have a strong retail component. Beyond the grand prize, finalists gain significant visibility with thousands of potential customers and funders, plus access to the Hatch Detroit alumni network, which provides ongoing technical support and additional spot grant funding opportunities.

The Seattle Tenant Improvement Program provides Seattle small businesses with forgivable loans of up to $50,000 to fund exterior signage upgrades or commercial equipment purchases. Administered by the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) in partnership with Grow America, the program offers two award packages: a Signage Package of up to $15,000 for the purchase of new exterior signage, and an Equipment Package of up to $50,000 for commercial equipment purchases. Awards are issued as 0% interest forgivable loans that convert to grants after the business remains in operation for one year following the final draw and meets its public benefit commitment, effectively functioning as a grant for qualifying businesses. To be eligible, businesses must be for-profit and independently owned (no franchises or chains), located within Seattle city limits, have been operating for at least two years, employ fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees, operate no more than two locations, generate annual gross revenue below $2 million, and demonstrate a clear public benefit to the community such as job creation, supporting events, or donating meals. Applicants must also have a signed commercial lease with at least three years remaining. Applications are evaluated on equity, viability, project readiness, and community impact, with priority given to projects serving high-displacement-risk neighborhoods and to businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, people of color, or women. Nonprofits, home-based businesses, and adult entertainment businesses are not eligible.

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) offers annual Farmer Resilience Grants to projects that have a positive social, environmental, and economic impact in their community. Farmers can earn between $2,000 and $5,000 for their projects.

The Sunny Day fund supports extraordinary economic development opportunities that create and retain employment as well as create significant capital investments. Projects must generate significant jobs in areas of high unemployment; they are evaluated on a competitive basis and must be consistent with the state's strategic economic development plan.

The LiftFund Disaster Relief Program provides small businesses recovering from natural disasters with a combination of grants, 0% interest loans, and hands-on technical assistance to help them rebuild and reopen quickly. Administered by LiftFund — a San Antonio-based nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has supported disaster recovery efforts since Hurricane Katrina — the program operates through individual sub-programs created in response to specific disasters, each developed in partnership with local foundations, donors, and community organizations. Because each sub-program is uniquely designed around the conditions and needs of an affected region, the specific grant amounts, loan terms, eligibility criteria, and funding pathways vary by disaster, but each program is typically built around the same core components: direct grant funding to help cover rebuilding expenses, replacement costs for damaged equipment, and general operating expenses; 0% interest loans with flexible terms, waived origination fees, and flexible collateral requirements to bridge gaps that grants alone cannot cover; and technical assistance such as one-on-one coaching, workshops, and help navigating the application process. Applicants are generally evaluated on both physical damage and economic injury caused by the disaster, and businesses that did not sustain direct property damage may still qualify if they experienced a measurable decline in revenue. Recent active sub-programs have served businesses in Kerr County and San Angelo, Texas, as well as the broader Hill Country region. Interested business owners should check LiftFund's Special Programs page for the disaster relief programs currently accepting applications.