Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship

The Detroit Legacy Business Project provides financial and technical assistance to small businesses that have operated continuously in Detroit for 30 or more years and have meaningfully contributed to the city's cultural identity through their products, services, and community engagement. Administered by the City of Detroit in partnership with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the program offers tiered grant funding designed to help longstanding businesses make capital improvements, modernize operations, and remain rooted in their neighborhoods. Awards include $50,000 citywide grants, $15,000 district grants (with two awarded in each of Detroit's seven City Council districts per round), and microgrants of $2,500 and $5,000 disbursed at staff discretion to cover smaller projects with a streamlined application process. Grant funds may be used for product inventory, equipment and machinery, furniture and fixtures, software subscriptions, building repairs and renovations, façade and exterior beautification, and professional services such as branding, marketing, financial, legal, and architectural support. Eligible applicants must be independently owned and operated, headquartered in Detroit, open to the public, and able to document at least 30 years of continuous operation in the city.

The Southern Smoke Foundation's Emergency Relief Program provides emergency funding to the owners and employees of restaurants and bars facing unforeseen circumstances that cannot be covered by insurance. To qualify, you must be experiencing an unforeseen crisis and currently be employed within the food and beverage industry, working at least 30 hours per week for a minimum of six months.

This program assists in the creation of new small businesses or the physical expansion of existing small businesses in targeted commercial corridors by providing forgivable loans to qualified applicants. Eligible Applicants include new small business owners occupying vacant space, or expanding small business owners. The business must be located in a first-floor storefront unit with emphasis to the Creative Economy.

The Venture Pitch assistance micro-grant can reimburse up to $5000, spent on hiring an independent, third party to assist in the creation of an investor pitch deck, assemble a researched list of at least 5 investors to contact that includes the investor profile, the investment criteria, their portfolio, news releases of companies they invested in and create an advanced and well thought out financial and P&L model with market size, costs, pricing, sales key assumptions. To be eligible for this grant, applicants must have received a Phase I or Phase II SBIR/STTR award.

The Greater Dallas County Development Alliance has officially opened applications for the next round of its Small Business Grant Fund, which provides monetary support to small businesses in the Dallas County area. The grant program, which launched last year, aims to fund applicants looking for financial assistance in key growth areas such as furniture and fixtures, technology, marketing, and professional development. A total of $20,000 in funding is available, and applications are open from April 1 through May 31. Last year, five small businesses representing a range of industries were awarded funding through the program.