Waves of Change Grant

Driving organic traffic from search engines can be a meaningful way to support or grow your business because it can consistently deliver people interested in your products or services to your website…for free. We will help. This program aims to support Black-owned or minority-owned (BIPOC) businesses by providing free SEO evaluations and advice. There is currently no cap on the number of possible marketing grant recipients per month. Grantees will be selected on a rolling basis. There is no application deadline. This grant provides free marketing services only. There is no longer a cash component to this grant.

The Envision Enterprise Grant provides Greater Charlottesville small businesses with $10,000 grants to support growth and expansion. Administered by the United Way of Greater Charlottesville in partnership with the City of Charlottesville Office of Economic Development and the Albemarle County Office of Economic Development, the program is intended for small, financially stable, for-profit businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals in the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle County. Funds may be used for a range of growth-related expenses, including hiring additional employees, ordering supplies and inventory, and investing in marketing. To be eligible, businesses must be located and licensed in the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle County, have been in operation for at least two consecutive years, have no more than 25 employees, generate net income of less than $200,000, and serve as the sole source of employment income for an owner who works for the business full-time. Current and former United Way of Greater Charlottesville grant recipients or Prosper program participants that received funding within the past calendar year are not eligible.

SBIR Assistance micro-grants are aimed at technology and research-based Wisconsin businesses, who intend to apply for SBIR/STTR federal funds. The business‘ SAM registration and SBIR submission must have a WI address. The grants cover reimbursement of costs up to $5000.00, incurred by a business in hiring an independent, approved third-party to assist in the development of federal Phase 1 SBIR/STTR research and development proposal.

The MDOT Small Business Grant Program provides direct grants of up to $50,000 to small businesses located along Maryland's Purple Line light rail corridor that are impacted by construction. Administered by the Maryland Department of Transportation, the program is designed to help offset the operational impact of construction-related closures and detours on businesses within one-quarter mile of the existing or future Purple Line tracks. The program runs from 2025 through 2028 with $1 million awarded each year across up to three application rounds, and is a successor to the earlier Purple Line Construction Zone Grant Program. Grant funds may be used for a wide range of business expenses, including payroll and healthcare benefits, contract labor, working capital, rent or mortgage payments, supplier payments, machinery and equipment, and utilities. In addition to direct grants, the program may also provide marketing funding and other business support for corridor businesses. Awards are competitive and prioritized based on a business's proximity to the most significant construction impacts.

The STRAUSS Trades Business Booster Contest awards one U.S. small business a $10,000 grand prize grant plus two tickets to Game One of the 2026 MLB World Series presented by Capital One, along with branded winner recognition as part of the campaign's wrap storytelling. Administered by STRAUSS, a family-owned workwear company that has been outfitting tradespeople since 1948, the contest is part of the brand's broader partnership with Major League Baseball and is designed to spotlight one standout small business and support its next stage of growth. In addition to the grand prize, three runners-up each receive two tickets to any 2026 MLB Postseason game (with a maximum of two winners per game), plus branded winner recognition as part of the campaign's wrap storytelling. Applicants submit a creative application through the STRAUSS contest form describing their business, and finalists are selected after an internal STRAUSS committee review. To qualify, applicants must be the owner of the business and at least 18 years old, operate an active private for-profit or nonprofit entity, have 100 or fewer employees, and have average annual gross receipts of $15,000,000 or less over the previous three years. The contest is not officially sponsored by MLB entities; MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball.