West Chester Spark Grants

Attracting workers to North Dakota is essential in helping to meet the state’s current and future workforce needs. Internships provide a valuable way for students to make connections with businesses and identify career options in North Dakota. Operation Intern is designed to expand the number of internships, work experience and apprenticeship positions with North Dakota employers. The program’s primary focus is employers in the state’s targeted industries: energy, advanced manufacturing, value-added agriculture, tourism and technology-based businesses, and autonomous systems. North Dakota businesses receive up to $5,000 in matching funds for the internships/apprenticeships. Funding can be used for items needed for the intern/apprentice to perform their internships, like wages, tools and equipment, essential training or tuition reimbursement. The funding is a one-to-one match.

The Business Energy Retrofit (BER) Grant provides small business owners, Tribal governments, and nonprofits with reimbursement grants of $2,500 to $25,000 to fund energy-efficiency improvements at their commercial properties. Funded by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR), Minnesota's economic development agency for the Iron Range region, and administered through a partnership with the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), the program is available to businesses with 100 or fewer employees located within IRRR's northeastern Minnesota service area. Grant awards may cover up to $25,000 in eligible energy retrofit expenses (or one-third of total project cost, capped at $75,000, whichever is lower). Eligible projects include lighting and fixtures, building envelope air sealing, appliances, motors, and equipment, insulation and ventilation, heating and cooling systems, windows and door replacements, large generators for business use, new construction for remodeling in the event of fire or natural disaster, and renewable energy installations. Electric vehicle installations are also eligible, contingent upon proof that all other funding sources (state, federal, and power company programs) have been exhausted. Applications are accepted year-round and reviewed twice per year. A $500 AEOA application fee is required at the initial inspection and processed at project closing. Work cannot begin prior to approval and site inspection, and grant payments are made directly to the awarded contractor or vendor upon completion and final inspection. Applicants are limited to one project per year (additional projects considered case-by-case) and must have property taxes paid and up to date, along with verification from the Minnesota Secretary of State that the organization and any contractors are active and in good standing. Prevailing wage must be paid and certified payroll collected.

Partner with the Utah Office of Tourism to enhance your out-of-state marketing with up to $225,000 in matching funds. Eligible organizations can allocate a portion of these funds to in-state marketing, promoting your project while strengthening Utah's brand.

The Inspiring Spring Mountain: Corridor Improvement Grant Program is a signature initiative of the Clark County Redevelopment Agency (RDA) to empower property owners, tenants, and community partners in Las Vegas Chinatown to make visible, lasting improvements to the Spring Mountain Corridor. The program provides financial support for projects that: -Strengthen Chinatown’s role as a regional cultural destination -Improve safety, lighting, and mobility -Support small businesses and legacy operators. and -Advance the goals of the Inspiring Spring Mountain Redevelopment Plan by aligning physical improvements with community vision and cultural identity. Through a competitive application process, eligible applicants can receive up to $75,000 in matching grant funds to implement improvements that enhance facades, lighting, safety, circulation, and placemaking. A total of $750,000 has been allocated to this program.

The Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) Grant Program provides Portland small businesses and small commercial building owners with grants of up to $200,000 to fund energy efficient upgrades that reduce energy usage and cost, create health benefits, and increase business resilience. Administered by Prosper Portland and funded through a five-year partnership with the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), the program serves both commercial property owners and small business tenants whose buildings or leased spaces are located within Portland city limits and are 40,000 square feet or smaller. Commercial property owners can receive up to $200,000 (with a 25 percent owner match) to fund building-wide improvements such as insulation and building envelope upgrades, lighting, HVAC equipment, building-wide controls, and solar electric systems with battery storage. Small business tenants can receive up to $100,000 with no required match to fund energy efficient appliance and equipment upgrades such as refrigeration equipment, washers and dryers, manufacturing equipment, and food service equipment like stoves, ranges, and hoods. All funded projects must generate at least 20 percent energy savings, and the program prioritizes investment in high energy use sectors with strong savings opportunities, including food service, food sales, small manufacturing, lodging, and laundromats. To qualify, small business applicants must have a current City of Portland and Oregon State business registration, employ 50 or fewer employees, and meet at least one social vulnerability or sector-based criterion (such as displacement by urban renewal, limited access to capital, being a first-generation college graduate, location in a low income census tract, or operating in one of the high-energy-use sectors above). Nonprofits, home-based businesses, mobile businesses (including food carts and trucks), and any building or leased space larger than 40,000 square feet are not eligible.