VA Small Business Investment Grant

The Small Business Start-Up Grant is designed to encourage entrepreneurs to support businesses in Walnut. The program provides up to $5,000.00 in grant funds to eligible businesses located in commercial districts within the city limits of Walnut.

The Awesome Foundation awards $1,000 grants each month to individuals and groups for various projects. With 84 independently run chapters, members contribute to a micro-funding pool supporting these grants. While funding is not limited to businesses, many startups and small businesses have benefited from the monthly grants. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The Fast Track Job Training Assistance Program provides grants to new and expanding companies to support the training of new full-time employees. The amount of funding is based on the number of positions a business creates, the amount of capital it invests, and the compensation it pays its new employees.

NASE provides grants of up to $4,000 for small businesses to finance specific business needs such as marketing, advertising, hiring employees, and purchasing equipment. These grants are particularly beneficial for sole proprietors and micro-businesses looking to enhance their operations.

The Raleigh Facade Rehabilitation Grant Program provides Raleigh small business owners and commercial property owners with matching reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 to refurbish the exteriors of their existing commercial buildings. Administered by the City of Raleigh's Small Business Development division within the Office of Economic and Social Advancement, the program originated in the 1980s to support businesses and property owners in Raleigh's Downtown and older commercial districts, and has since helped more than 100 businesses upgrade their storefronts. Grants reimburse up to 50% of qualified rehabilitation costs, with maximum awards based on location: businesses within Raleigh's Economic Development Priority Areas may receive up to $10,000, while businesses outside those areas may receive up to $5,000. Eligible improvements include the removal of false fronts, repair or replacement of windows, doors, cornices, and façade materials, exterior lighting, exterior painting (when associated with a larger rehabilitation effort), and qualifying art and mural projects including artist fees, labor, and materials. Routine maintenance, interior projects, residential properties, projects located outside Raleigh, and projects already permitted or underway are not eligible. Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, and façade improvements must be clearly visible from public streets. Applicants must complete a pre-application to determine eligibility before being invited to submit a full application.