The Wish Local Empowerment Program

Work Immersion is an internship support program available to Rhode Island employers. It is designed to boost the employment prospects of new and returning workers (i.e., eligible students and unemployed or underemployed adults) through meaningful paid work experiences. It provides a 50% or 75% reimbursement for wages paid to eligible participants. All Rhode Island employers who meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the program guide may apply.

Women of color entrepreneurs with early-stage businesses that generate less than $50,000 in annual revenue may be eligible for the Waves of Change Grant. Described primarily as a "service-based grant," in which experts will donate their time and services to help recipients grow their business, the grant may also offer a stipend to cover operating costs for one year. Our grant program kicks off in December, and we’ll start diving into the creative work in January. We plan to give you everything you need to launch your business or new brand by June, but we'll always leave wiggle room — because life happens!

The KC Small Business Grant provides established small businesses in Kansas City, Kansas with a one-time grant of up to $10,000 to help offset expenses that support expanded daily operations and business growth. Administered by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City's Department of Economic Development, the program is designed to stimulate economic growth, attract new investment, and strengthen neighborhood vitality by supporting existing businesses that are primed for expansion. To be eligible, a business must be located in Kansas City, KS, have fewer than 25 employees, and have been operating for at least one year. Grant funds may be used for renovation costs (such as sheetrock, flooring, and painting), façade improvements, inventory, equipment, and marketing (including webpages and signage). Certain business types are ineligible, including home-based businesses, liquor stores, payday loan businesses, hookah and vape shops, and new businesses operating less than one year.

The Opportunity Council Districts Program, an incentive-based initiative focused on encouraging growth in retail-stagnant areas within City Council Districts 3 and 5. The program will provide funding for property improvements to help businesses expand and attract new investment in Athenas, Alabama. Eligible small businesses can apply for incentive awards of up to $20,000 for one-time, permanent upgrades. The funding is split evenly, with $100,000 allocated to each district.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites researchers to submit applications for support of clinical projects that address critical needs for clinical trial readiness in rare diseases. The initiative seeks applications that are intended to facilitate rare diseases research by enabling efficient and effective movement of candidate therapeutics or diagnostics toward clinical trials, and to increase their likelihood of success. This could be through the development and testing of rigorous biomarkers and clinical outcome assessment measures, or by defining the presentation and course of a rare disease to enable the design of upcoming clinical trials.