WI SBIR/STTR Assistance Micro-grant

The City of Hercules has allocated $200,000 to attract certain types of desired eating and drinking businesses, and general businesses in larger retail spaces, by helping with move-in costs. The program provides grants of $5,000 (minimum) to $25,000 (maximum) for qualified new eating & drinking establishments, and $50,000 to $100,000 for qualified general businesses in larger spaces. The grant amount must be matched by the applicant.

The Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region has a $10,000 grant program for small businesses in southeastern Connecticut that need help with professional business services, equipment purchases, and inventory. Eligible businesses must have been in business for at least one year, have an annual revenue between $35,000 and $1.5 million, and be in good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services.

A central goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to understand how electrical and chemical signals code information in neural circuits and give rise to sensations, thoughts, emotions and actions. While currently available technologies can provide some understanding, they may not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. For example, non-invasive technologies are low resolution and/or provide indirect measures such as blood flow, which are imprecise; invasive technologies can provide information at the level of single neurons producing the fundamental biophysical signals, but they can only be applied to tens or hundreds of neurons, out of a total number in the human brain estimated at 85 billion.Other BRAIN FOAs seek to develop novel technology (RFA-NS-17-003) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-17-004) for recording or manipulating neural activity on a scale that is beyond what is currently possible. This FOA seeks applications for unique and innovative technologies that are in an even earlier stage of development than that sought in other FOAs, including new and untested ideas that are in the initial stages of conceptualization.In addition to experimental approaches, the support provided under this FOA might enable calculations, simulations, computational models, or other mathematical techniques for demonstrating that the signal sources and/or measurement technologies are theoretically capable of meeting the demands of large-scale recording or manipulation of circuit activity in humans or in animal models. The support might also be used for building and testing phantoms, prototypes, in-vitro or other bench-top models in order to validate underlying theoretical assumptions in preparation for future FOAs aimed at testing in animal models.

The Houston Texans Small Business Boost provides selected Greater Houston small businesses with a $5,000 grant along with marketing and promotional support designed to raise the winner's visibility across the city. Created in 2020 as a partnership between the Houston Texans and Amegy Bank, the program recognizes independently owned, for-profit businesses based primarily in the Greater Houston area. In addition to the cash grant, winners receive a feature on HoustonTexans.com (including a dedicated web article and a social media post announcing the win), access to event opportunities through Amegy Bank, and a commemorative plaque presented by the Texans and Amegy. Businesses are nominated for the award, and multiple winners are selected each year.

The Start Garden 100 is Michigan's largest open business competition, awarding a total of up to $500,000 in combined grant, loan, and startup capital across 100 finalists and 10 grand prize winners. Administered by Start Garden — a Grand Rapids-based accelerator focused on equitable entrepreneur-driven economic development — the competition is open to anyone in Michigan with a business idea, including aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses exploring a new opportunity. Applicants submit a 100-second video pitch to enter, and 100 finalists are selected to each receive a $1,000 no-strings-attached cash grant to begin preparing for the program's Demo Day event in downtown Grand Rapids. At Demo Day, ten grand prize winners are each awarded an additional $20,000 cash grant from Start Garden, and through a partnership with Northern Initiatives — a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has supported Michigan small businesses for over 30 years — each of those ten winners is also offered an optional pre-approved $20,000 loan, bringing the maximum potential capital per winner to $40,000. While the specific blend of grant, loan, and additional capital partner funding varies depending on each winner's business and chosen pathway, the overall program represents one of the most significant pools of accessible startup funding available in the state. A separate high school category for students under 18 awards $1,000 each to five selected finalists, with an additional $5,000 going to a high school winner chosen on Demo Day. Beyond funding, finalists receive two months of mentorship and refinement support from Start Garden's leadership team and partners, along with visibility through the Demo Day platform and ongoing connections within Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem.