WY Kickstart Grant

Purpose: The Orphan Site Cleanup Fund (OSCF) is a grant program providing financial assistance to eligible applicants for the cleanup of sites contaminated by leaking petroleum underground storage tanks where there is no financially responsible party, and the applicant is not an eligible claimant to the UST Cleanup Fund. The maximum amount of grant monies available for an eligible occurrence is $1 million. Description: Grants provide funding for response actions that characterize, assess, andinvestigate an unauthorized release from petroleum USTs. These actions include apreliminary site assessment, soil and groundwater investigations, and preparation of a corrective action plan in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Chapter 16, Article 11. Grants may also provide funding for UST system removal, petroleum product removal and soil excavation, not to exceed 500 cubic yards at the eligible site. Grants also provide funding for response actions that carry out cleanup activities,implement a corrective action plans, and perform verification monitoring in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Chapter 16, Article 11. If a corrective action plan is required, the State Water Board cannot award a cleanup grant until the applicant demonstrates the corrective action plan is complete and approved by the regulatory agency. However, the applicant may apply for a cleanup grant before completion and approval of the corrective action plan. Note that only the current property owner is eligible for a Cleanup Grant.

The Seattle Tenant Improvement Program provides Seattle small businesses with forgivable loans of up to $50,000 to fund exterior signage upgrades or commercial equipment purchases. Administered by the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) in partnership with Grow America, the program offers two award packages: a Signage Package of up to $15,000 for the purchase of new exterior signage, and an Equipment Package of up to $50,000 for commercial equipment purchases. Awards are issued as 0% interest forgivable loans that convert to grants after the business remains in operation for one year following the final draw and meets its public benefit commitment, effectively functioning as a grant for qualifying businesses. To be eligible, businesses must be for-profit and independently owned (no franchises or chains), located within Seattle city limits, have been operating for at least two years, employ fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees, operate no more than two locations, generate annual gross revenue below $2 million, and demonstrate a clear public benefit to the community such as job creation, supporting events, or donating meals. Applicants must also have a signed commercial lease with at least three years remaining. Applications are evaluated on equity, viability, project readiness, and community impact, with priority given to projects serving high-displacement-risk neighborhoods and to businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, people of color, or women. Nonprofits, home-based businesses, and adult entertainment businesses are not eligible.

The HBCU Founders Accelerator is a customized 16-week intensive program, primarily conducted virtually. It commences with goal-setting discussions, the development of a work plan, and the identification of key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. Throughout the program, each portfolio company is provided with dedicated executive-level support from paid advisors. With a cohort size of 8-10 startups, our accelerator seeks to create a collaborative environment to foster entrepreneurial success. We make an initial investment of $120,000 in each selected startup to help support their growth.

Vermont’s Farm & Forest Viability Program gives grants to program participants who’ve completed business or transfer plans. The grants range from $1,000 to $8,000 and can be used for business infrastructure construction, equipment, machinery upgrades, and energy efficiency projects.

The Maryland Technology Internship Program (MTIP) helps Maryland retain top tech talent by increasing the number of paid technical internships offered in the state. Administered by UMBC and funded by the State of Maryland, the program offers financial assistance to small businesses, start-ups, non-profits and state and local agencies, to hire more interns. The Maryland Technology Internship Program can reimburse employers for up to 50% of an intern’s wage, up to $5,500 annually per intern ($3,000 for the first semester and $2,500 for subsequent semester).