Worcester Small Business Grant Program

The Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship (KOA) has realized significant growth in high-wage and high-demand occupations, but there still remains a significant need to engage small businesses essential to the state economic success. This grant specifically targets small businesses with less than 10 full-time employees, and will provide $7,000 one-time grants to support the registration of New Apprentices in high-wage and high-demand occupations.

The Activate Downtown Grant Program (formally known as the Ground Floor Tenant Build-Out Matching Grant Program) provides property owners and business tenants in Downtown New Orleans with matching grants of up to $20,000 (covering 50 percent of eligible project costs) to activate long-vacant ground-floor commercial storefronts. Administered by the Downtown Development District (DDD) of New Orleans, the program is designed to reduce a common barrier to opening a brick-and-mortar business (the upfront cost of preparing a vacant commercial space for a new tenant) while revitalizing commercial corridors, promoting natural surveillance, and increasing pedestrian activity throughout downtown. Eligible improvements include interior build-outs, demolition and shell reconstruction, ADA accessibility improvements, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and lighting upgrades, storefront entryways, doors, and display windows, signage, exterior storefront lighting, security improvements (alarms, cameras, security glazing, and DDD-approved exterior lighting), permits, materials, and contracted labor. To qualify, the project must involve a ground-floor tenant space located within the Downtown Development District boundary with direct frontage on and pedestrian access from public rights-of-way, and the space must have been vacant for at least one year. Tenants may occupy no more than 10,000 square feet of ground-floor area, and applicants must demonstrate site control through a proposed lease, executed letter of intent, purchase agreement, act of sale, or option agreement. National credit tenants and franchise concepts are not eligible, defined as any business that is publicly traded, holds an investment-grade credit rating, operates more than 10 locations across multiple states, or is a subsidiary or affiliate of a company meeting any of these criteria. A wide range of business types are also ineligible, including tattoo parlors, check cashing, bail bonds, sexually oriented businesses, churches, convenience stores, locksmiths, pawnbrokers, smoke shops, wedding chapels, shooting ranges, self-storage, private clubs, and membership-driven enterprises. Ineligible expenses include furniture and equipment not permanently affixed to the space, inventory, business operations costs, property acquisition, working capital, and professional fees. Grants are awarded through a competitive scoring process that weighs vacancy duration, Canal Street corridor location, safety and crime prevention features, project readiness, and small business impact, and are disbursed on a reimbursement basis after project completion, verification, and issuance of an occupational license. Tenants must sign a lease of at least 24 months and remain open and operating for at least 12 continuous months following project completion.

The Lifting Up Small Businesses in the Bronx grant program awards a total of $145,000 to 26 Bronx small businesses each cycle, including 25 grants of $5,000 and one $20,000 grand prize. Administered by the Bronx Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Optimum Business, the program is designed to strengthen the borough's small business ecosystem, empower local entrepreneurs, and foster broader economic growth across Bronx neighborhoods. Beyond the cash grant, grant recipients who are current Bronx Chamber of Commerce members receive a complimentary 6-month extension of their membership, while recipients who are new to the Chamber receive a full year of complimentary membership. As part of the application, business owners must describe how the grant funding would help their business grow and how it will strengthen the community the business serves. To qualify, applicants must operate a business with a brick-and-mortar location in a Bronx community that Optimum serves, employ 10 or fewer people, have been in operation for at least one year, and be in good standing with all federal, state, and local laws and taxing jurisdictions. Bronx Chamber of Commerce membership and Optimum Business customer status are not considered in the evaluation, and grants are distributed by check to selected recipients.

The Raleigh Facade Rehabilitation Grant Program provides Raleigh small business owners and commercial property owners with matching reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 to refurbish the exteriors of their existing commercial buildings. Administered by the City of Raleigh's Small Business Development division within the Office of Economic and Social Advancement, the program originated in the 1980s to support businesses and property owners in Raleigh's Downtown and older commercial districts, and has since helped more than 100 businesses upgrade their storefronts. Grants reimburse up to 50% of qualified rehabilitation costs, with maximum awards based on location: businesses within Raleigh's Economic Development Priority Areas may receive up to $10,000, while businesses outside those areas may receive up to $5,000. Eligible improvements include the removal of false fronts, repair or replacement of windows, doors, cornices, and façade materials, exterior lighting, exterior painting (when associated with a larger rehabilitation effort), and qualifying art and mural projects including artist fees, labor, and materials. Routine maintenance, interior projects, residential properties, projects located outside Raleigh, and projects already permitted or underway are not eligible. Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, and façade improvements must be clearly visible from public streets. Applicants must complete a pre-application to determine eligibility before being invited to submit a full application.

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) provides limited financial support for the transfer and deployment of innovative technology. AEDC will fund up to $3,750 of costs associated with transferring new or existing technology from a qualified applicant — such as a public or private enterprise, laboratory, college or university — to an enterprise based in Arkansas. Up to $5,000 of total project costs will be considered, with the first $2,500 funded by the Authority; the remaining $2,500 is cost-shared equally (50:50) between the Authority and the enterprise. Each enterprise is eligible to receive assistance for two technology transfer projects per year. Projects are evaluated on a competitive basis.