WFN Fast Pitch Competition

The Downtown St. Louis Pop-Up Retail Program provides aspiring and existing business owners with grants of up to $15,000 to activate short-term pop-up retail shops in vacant storefronts in the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods of St. Louis. Administered by Greater St. Louis, Inc. with support from the St. Louis Development Corporation, the program is designed to reduce barriers to entry for business owners while increasing street vibrancy, safety, and economic health through active storefronts, with the broader goal of fostering business development and potential permanent tenancy in these locations. The grant covers up to six months of expenses associated with the pop-up activation, including monthly rent, utilities, labor, maintenance of the space during occupancy, and general liability insurance. Eligible applicants include prospective tenants considering opening a pop-up location in Downtown or Downtown West, as well as current tenants in those neighborhoods considering opening a second location as a pop-up. All applicants must have the consent of their current or prospective landlord, and Greater St. Louis, Inc. may help identify a suitable space and willing property owner for applicants who have not yet secured one. Successful applicants are expected to propose concepts that appeal to a diverse customer base, complement surrounding businesses, and provide memorable experiences for customers and passersby.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to invite Small Research Grant (R21) applications that propose to study the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of human genetics and genomics. Applications may propose studies using either single or mixed methods. Direct involvement of key stakeholders where appropriate is encouraged. These applications should be for small research projects, such as those that involve single investigators. Of particular interest are projects that propose normative or conceptual analyses, including focused legal, economic, philosophical, anthropological, or historical analyses of new or emerging issues. This mechanism can also be used for the collection of preliminary data and the secondary analysis of existing data.

The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) Member Companies may apply for a variety of non-dilutive grants, each with its own eligibility and review criteria. The Academic Startup Grant is focused on startups advancing intellectual property from institutions of higher education. Managed by the Academic Innovations team, the objective of the Academic Startup Grant is to provide earlystage funding to academic startups to support one or more critical milestones towards commercialization and to advance the company’s pursuit of follow-on funding. Key milestones include developing the technology past the minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrating product-market fit, in the DEVELOP stage of startup development. Academic Startup Grants provide funding for up to $25,000.

The Business or Commercialization Planning assistance micro-grant can reimburse up to $5000, spent on hiring an approved, independent, third party to write a comprehensive business or commercialization plan for a Wisconsin business. Typically awardees are pursuing a Phase II SBIR/STTR grant in which a detailed commercialization plan is required. The program is limited to businesses in certain industries.

The City of Houston Economic Development Grants program provides flexible grant funding to qualifying organizations whose projects help stimulate business and commercial activity within Houston. Administered by the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, the program is intentionally adaptable. Rather than a standardized application with fixed award amounts and deadlines, each grant is individually negotiated and structured to align with the city's broader economic priorities and initiatives. This flexibility allows funding to be tailored to a project's unique scope and impact, but it also means there is no single application form or set timeline. Instead, applicants move through a multi-stage process: an initial outreach to the Economic Development Division, a project presentation and scoring against the city's priorities, cross-departmental discussions about layering the project with other city plans, a formal application including a financial pro-forma, and ultimately approval by City Council.