Westminster Business Grants

The City of Chicago provides financial assistance for job training through the Workforce Solutions program. The program subsidizes training for incumbent workers and new hires for qualified Chicago businesses. Reimbursement grants up to $250,000 may fund up to 100% of eligible expenses for businesses seeking to train current employees and/or new hires. Grants do not have to be repaid. Workforce Solutions grants cover qualified trainings, including on-the-job (OJT) training, leadership development, technology skills, workplace safety and more. The primary funding source for the program is derived from qualifying Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and/or proceeds from the City's Housing and Economic Development (HED) Bond.

Lenovo has launched Backing Every Business, a new global initiative designed to close the support gap facing small businesses. In partnership with actress, entrepreneur and investor Eva Longoria, founders around the world can apply for $10,000 in grant funding, AI-enabled technology and one-to-one mentorship, including from Longoria herself. In addition to direct grant funding, winners will receive a technology upgrade from Lenovo, valued at $12,000.

The Neighborhood Business Grant provides New York City small businesses with microgrants of up to $5,000 to fund initiatives that positively impact their community. Administered by CitizensNYC, one of New York's oldest microgranting organizations (founded approximately 50 years ago and made possible by philanthropic partners including leadership support from M&T Bank), the program funds community-minded businesses of all kinds, from barbershops and bookstores to wellness studios, cafés, and childcare providers, that play a positive role in their neighborhood. To qualify, applicants must operate a business located in one of New York City's five boroughs, have been operating for at least two years, employ 10 or fewer people, be profit-generating, and be able to provide proof of business such as bank statements, tax documents, and POS terminal statements. The program runs two grant cycles each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Applicants who are awarded grants through the first cycle are ineligible to apply again during the second cycle of that year, but unsuccessful first-cycle applicants are welcome to submit an updated application for the second cycle. Applications are scored across four key criteria: Need, Relevance, Urgency, and Quality of Life Impact. CitizensNYC also offers info sessions and online office hours to help applicants refine their project ideas and applications before submission.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites researchers to submit applications for support of clinical projects that address critical needs for clinical trial readiness in rare diseases. The initiative seeks applications that are intended to facilitate rare diseases research by enabling efficient and effective movement of candidate therapeutics or diagnostics toward clinical trials, and to increase their likelihood of success. This could be through the development and testing of rigorous biomarkers and clinical outcome assessment measures, or by defining the presentation and course of a rare disease to enable the design of upcoming clinical trials.

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), America's Seed Fund offers up to $2 million for U.S.-based startups and small businesses developing innovative technology. Project pitches are accepted on a rolling basis, with official responses from NSF typically taking one month.