Texas Enterprise Fund

The Cleveland Municipal Small Business Initiative provides Cleveland small businesses with recoverable grants of up to $50,000 (or 15 percent of total project costs, whichever is lower) to reduce the equity required to complete an SBA-backed financing project. Administered by the City of Cleveland's Economic Development Department in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Cuyahoga County, the grant is funded half by the City and half by the County. The program's purpose is to leverage traditional SBA financing to help small businesses create jobs and opportunities in the City of Cleveland, effectively lowering the equity requirement on an SBA project from 25 percent to 10 percent. To qualify, applicants must be able to secure an SBA-backed loan through a participating lender and meet the City of Cleveland's program requirements. Projects must create at least one permanent full-time job for every $35,000 in City funds received, and applicants must contribute at least 10 percent of the total project cost as equity. The City tracks each recipient's job creation progress annually for up to three years following project completion, and recipients must execute a City Workforce Development Agreement (a free service provided by Ohio Means Jobs that matches unemployed skilled workers with available positions at the recipient business). Eligible uses of grant funds include property acquisition, new construction or renovation, and the acquisition of equipment, furniture, and fixtures. Working capital expenses (such as rent, utilities, inventory, and payroll) are not eligible uses and are also excluded from the calculation of total project costs used to determine the grant amount. As part of the grant terms, the City takes a UCC lien on the business's assets, personal guarantees from the business owner are typically required, and additional collateral may be required at the City's discretion. If the business fails to meet the job creation performance milestones over the three-year tracking period, the City may require repayment of some or all of the grant.

SFPUC customers can qualify to receive a rebate of up to $1,000 for the purchase of eligible water-efficient commercial grade clothes washers installed in laundromats, commercial properties, or common area laundry rooms of multi-family properties.

Louisiana’s High-Impact Jobs Program (HIP) offers qualifying companies reimbursable grants for the creation of new jobs that pay above the parish (county) average wage. Companies of all sizes can benefit from grants administered directly by Louisiana Economic Development, with higher wages yielding higher grants.

A skilled workforce is essential to accelerating our economic recovery. The Chicagoland Chamber is committed to helping the region’s companies equip their employees with the skills needed to grow, thrive, and succeed. Since 2019, more than 93 companies have participated in this program, resulting in 3,325 employees expanding their skill sets. Whether you work with one of our training providers, have an existing trainer you like to work with, or conduct internal training using company staff, you may be eligible to receive a 50% reimbursement through this program.

The Geneva Microenterprise Assistance Program (GMAP) provides Geneva, New York small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs with grants of $5,000 to $30,000 to support business start-up and growth. Administered by the City of Geneva's Grant Coordinator (with additional program delivery support from a training consultant) and funded by the New York State Office of Community Renewal through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Microenterprise Assistance Program, the program has $150,000 in total grant funding available. The GMAP is designed to meet the CDBG National Objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons through LMI job creation and LMI microenterprise assistance, and aims to help launch or grow at least seven small businesses (including at least four owned by LMI persons) and create at least three new LMI-qualifying jobs. To qualify, applicants must be a private for-profit business (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation) with an existing or planned business location within the City of Geneva, currently have five or fewer employees (including the owner), and be up to date on all local, state, and federal taxes and obligations. Applicants must either have majority ownership held by LMI individuals or commit to creating at least one new full-time equivalent (FTE) job for an LMI individual. Businesses that received prior MAP funding will be required to create at least one new LMI job regardless of owner LMI status. If more than one FTE job is created as a result of GMAP funding, at least 50 percent of the jobs created must be made available to or taken by LMI individuals. Applicants must also commit to a 10 percent equity (cash) match of the awarded grant amount and complete an OCR-approved entrepreneurial training program (either the Fast Track to Business Start-up offered by the Onondaga Small Business Development Center, the Business Startup Program offered by an Ibero Business Center, or the customized training program offered at no cost by the City of Geneva) before incurring any grant-related costs. Grant funds may be used for working capital for equipment, furniture, inventory, operations, salaries, and hardware and software directly related to business operations. Funds may not be used to pay off existing debt, for lobbying, religious, or political activities, to purchase real estate, for short-term rental properties or private recreational facilities, or for construction-related activities. Grants are disbursed on a reimbursement basis: expenditures must be paid by the awardee and submitted to City staff for reimbursement with relevant invoices and receipts as proof of payment. The equity match must be documented on a pro rata basis before any grant disbursements will be processed, and no disbursements will be issued until the awardee submits a certificate of completion for the required entrepreneurial training program (or receives an approved waiver based on completion within the prior 24 months). Applications are reviewed by a Grant Review Committee that scores each eligible application across ten criteria (out of 40 total points), including LMI ownership, minority/woman/veteran ownership, start-up status (less than 6 months in operation), whether the project will fill a vacant, street-level storefront in downtown or a neighborhood business district, reasonableness of costs, project feasibility, owner experience, size of the match relative to the grant amount, job creation, and expected economic multiplier effects (such as attracting visitors or committing to procure goods and services locally).