Veteran Shark Tank

HSBIR provides matching grants to help companies further develop new products that solve critical issues for the nation. Applicants must have received Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) /Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants or contracts to qualify for the state matching grant program. The HSBIR program provides up to 50% match for companies receiving SBIR/STTR awards. Companies may apply also for reimbursement for grant writing costs for their initial Federal grant application (Phase 0). The Hawaiʻi SBIR matching grant program is the longest state funded SBIR matching program in the United States. Initially the grant program only funded companies that received Phase I grants but in 2016, the program was expanded to help companies who are moving their advanced technology products from research into the market. Hawaiʻi’s SBIR Phase II and Phase III winners are creating the best technology solutions in the nation.

The Proof of Concept program provides up to $25,000 to conduct research that demonstrates the technical and economic feasibility of an innovation before it is commercialized. The program is open to those committed to commercializing an innovation in South Dakota, such as entrepreneurs, universities, existing South Dakota companies and other entities. Investment proceeds may be used to pay consultant contracts, material and supplies, salaries for employees in South Dakota, and necessary services for technical feasibility or marketing studies.

The Beasley Small Business Grant Program awards small businesses across Beasley Media Group's radio markets with grants of $10,000 in advertising each, totaling $100,000 in advertising value distributed to ten winners per cycle. Administered by Beasley Media Group in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and offered in celebration of Black Business Month, the program provides selected businesses with a targeted advertising package on a local Beasley station rather than a direct cash grant. The advertising is designed to help winners raise visibility, drive customer acquisition, and reach broader audiences in their market. To qualify, applicants must have generated less than $5 million in annual revenue in the most recently completed fiscal year and must have been incorporated and actively operating as a business for at least two years. Religious institutions, adult entertainment businesses, government entities, schools, political organizations, and CBD or marijuana-related businesses are not eligible. The application requires a 300-word essay describing the business and how it has a positive effect on the community. Because winners receive advertising on a Beasley radio station, the program is best suited for businesses located in or serving markets where Beasley operates.

The Scranton Small Business Façade Improvement Grant Program provides Scranton commercial property owners and tenants with reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 (or 50 percent of total project cost, whichever is lower) to fund permanent exterior improvements to commercial buildings. Administered by the City of Scranton and funded through federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, the program is designed to create a more aesthetically pleasing environment along Scranton's commercial corridors and support the revitalization of the city's business districts. Grants are geographically targeted, with eligible properties limited to commercial buildings located within the federally designated low-to-moderate income areas of Scranton. To qualify, applicants must be either the owner of a commercial property or a business owner or manager operating from a commercial property within the eligible area, with tenants required to submit an Owner Consent Form as part of their application. Businesses must be in compliance with all current City of Scranton codes and regulations, current on taxes, fines, and fees, and properly registered in the city. Eligible buildings are limited to existing commercial structures with facades visible from the street. New construction, mobile businesses, structural repairs, and interior projects of any kind are not eligible. Funded improvements must be permanent, exterior alterations that enhance the appearance of the commercial property, and may include the repair, preservation, improvement, replacement, or installation of windows and doors, signage, lighting, awnings, canopies, and sunshades, decking and stairs, gutters and downspouts, cornices or decorative trim, historically significant architectural details, masonry, pointing, or carpentry work, painting or surface treatment, entranceways to buildings or parking lots, greenery, and sidewalks, patios, walkways, benches, planters, and other permanent exterior features.

The Changing the Game Grant awards five $20,000 grants to U.S.-based for-profit food and beverage businesses creating community-centered spaces where women's sports are the main event. Sponsored by Stanley 1913, the global lifestyle brand known for premium food and beverage innovation, and run in partnership with TOGETHXR (a women's sports media company co-founded by Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, Sue Bird, and Jessica Robertson) with end-to-end program administration by Honeycomb Credit, the program supports founders reimagining the traditional sports bar as an elevated, community-driven "third space" that pairs premium food and beverage with a dedicated spotlight on women's sports. The grant is intentionally flexible in format: qualifying businesses can include sports bars, restaurants, cafés, event venues, or community gathering spaces, and both currently operating businesses and founders in the planning stages are eligible. To qualify, applicants must own or be an authorized representative of a for-profit business registered and in good standing in the United States, be at least 18 years old (19 in Alabama and Nebraska), be a legal U.S. resident, operate or plan to operate a food and beverage space that centers women's sports as the main event (not a secondary broadcast or afterthought), and be located in any of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, D.C. Grant funds may be used for buildout, equipment, programming, community-building, food and beverage expenditures, marketing, and operational costs, consistent with the plan described in the applicant's proposal. Applicants are limited to one submission per business. The selection process begins with an eligibility and mission-alignment screening, after which qualified applications advance to a finalist round where a selection committee evaluates each business on narrative strength, community impact, innovation, and program alignment. Final recipients are selected by Stanley 1913 and announced at an in-person celebration in New York City alongside Stanley 1913 executives, TOGETHXR representatives, athletes, and media. In addition to the grant funding, winners receive amplified visibility through Stanley 1913 and TOGETHXR's earned media, social channels, and brand campaigns.