The Best Business Grants in Massachusetts

Boston Office of Small Business

ReStore Boston helps eligible businesses and commercial property owners improve their storefronts by providing financial and design assistance for signage and/or facade renovations. Having well maintained facades and signage can increase foot traffic and revenue for local businesses; increasing the vitality of our neighborhood commercial corridors and Main Streets Districts.

ReStore Boston grants cover 50 to 90% of project costs up to $8,000 for signage and up to $200,000 for facades. Business owners will pay the contractor upfront and the business owner will be reimbursed by the City.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$200,000

City of Framingham

The City of Framingham is accepting applications for its Microenterprise Assistance Program. The Microenterprise Assistance Program will provide ten one-time grants of $7,200 to eligible businesses. All start-up businesses and existing businesses must be physically located in Framingham and will be required to submit a business plan when applying for a Microenterprise grant. Funds can be used for payroll expenses, leases, business mortgages, or purchasing new equipment to expand business offerings.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$7,200

MassVentures

Any Massachusetts-based business that has been awarded funds through SBIR Phase II may be eligible for grants and business guidance to help them create jobs and commercialize their technologies. Each year, the program awards 17 grants ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$500,000

Commonwealth Corporation

The Workforce Training Fund Program provides Massachusetts businesses with funding to train current and newly hired employees. Administered by Commonwealth Corporation, the goal of this program is to strengthen business productivity, competitiveness, and the state's pipeline of skilled workers. The program offers four grant pathways tailored to different training needs: the Express Program, which provides fast, smaller-scale grants for just-in-time training using a pre-approved directory of training options and no waiting period between awards; the General Program, which funds larger, customized, strategic training initiatives for employers of any size who work with training vendors of their choice; the General Program ESOL Bridge Grant, which allows organizations that have completed (or are completing) a General Program grant supporting English language learners to continue ESOL training through the standard one-year waiting period; and the Technical Assistance Grant, offered on a limited basis to expand training opportunities for employees.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$250,000

MA
Department of Industrial Accidents

The SafetyWorks Training Grant provides Massachusetts-based employers with up to $25,000 in funding for employee training that prevents or addresses workplace injuries and illness. Also known as the Workplace Safety Grant, the program is administered by the Office of Safety within the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) and supports a wide range of hands-on, in-person safety training topics, including emergency response and first aid, workplace violence prevention and de-escalation, fire and electrical safety, fall protection, hazardous materials handling, confined space and rescue, and regulatory compliance, among others. The grant operates as a reimbursement program: training must be pre-approved and conducted under a signed contract before any costs become eligible, and all training must be delivered by Massachusetts-based trainers. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but training and funding must occur during announced funding cycles.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$25,000

MassVentures

Catalyst provides up to seven grants of up to $75,000 to researchers and early-stage companies looking to demonstrate initial prototypes of their clean energy technologies.

Diversity in Cleantech Early Stage (DICES), in parallel with Catalyst, awards three additional grants of up to $75,000 each for projects led by eligible (certified or certifiable) women-owned or minority-owned early-stage companies.

The program is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of transforming new ideas from the research stage into commercially viable technologies that attract industry and investor interest. All awardees gain access to a vast network of partners, expert local market and policy insights, and mentoring from MassCEC and MassVentures, while all finalists receive complimentary pitch coaching and business mentoring.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$75,000

MassTech

The MassTech Intern Partnership (MTIP) provides stipends to Massachusetts-based digital technology companies to help fund summer internships for Massachusetts college and graduate students. Administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and supported by the Healey-Driscoll administration and the state Legislature, the program reimburses participating companies for up to 50% of an intern's hourly wage, capped at $8 per hour and a maximum of $3,200 per intern. Eligible companies may apply for up to two interns per program period, while companies operating in priority focus areas may apply for up to three. The program's goal is to strengthen the state's tech talent pipeline and support startups and growing tech companies across the Commonwealth.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$6,400

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

The Massachusetts Transition and Growth Program (MassTAG) is a recruitment tool targeting life sciences companies considering their first presence in Massachusetts. This highly competitive program is designed to attract out-of-state, international, and newly formed companies that meet MLSC’s strategic objectives to become part of the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem.

Successful applicants will receive grant awards based on net new jobs created within the company’s first 12 months of Massachusetts operations, to be paid out retroactively in three annual installments.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$50,000

City of Springfield

Small businesses in Springfield, MA are elligible for up to $25,000 of grant funding from the city.

The CDBG Small Business Assistance Program is intended for small businesses in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-eligible areas in the City of Springfield. The program aims to provide financial support, increase economic activity, and retain and create jobs for small businesses. Applications that avoid basic operating costs as proposed uses and that demon

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$25,000

Town of Wareham

The Wareham Redevelopment Authority has created the Storefront Renovation Grant Program to support improvements to commercial properties and businesses. The program aims to encourage investment within businesses and improve the appearance and safety of major areas within town.

The Storefront Renovation Grant program offers grants of up to $7,500 for upgrades such as signage, landscaping, lighting, painting and exterior repairs. Businesses will contribute 20% of project costs.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$7,500

City of Worcester

This program assists in the creation of new small businesses or the physical expansion of existing small businesses in targeted commercial corridors by providing forgivable loans to qualified applicants.

Eligible Applicants include new small business owners occupying vacant space, or expanding small business owners. The business must be located in a first-floor storefront unit with emphasis to the Creative Economy.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$75,000

Workbar

The Workbar Small Business Grant Contest is an annual contest that awards a $5,000 cash grant and free coworking memberships to Massachusetts-based small businesses. Run by Workbar, a Greater Boston coworking network, the program has been operating since 2021. One Grand Prize winner receives the $5,000 grant plus a one-year free Unlimited coworking membership; two Runner-Ups each receive a 6-month free Unlimited coworking membership; and the Top 10 Finalists each receive a 3-month Unlimited coworking membership. Applicants submit a short form sharing their business story and how they would use the funds, and a panel of judges including Workbar's CEO and outside entrepreneurs selects the winners.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$5,000

Nantucket Chamber of Commerce

The Rock Solid Fund, administered by the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, provides grants to Nantucket-based small businesses to ensure their contribution toward a strong island economy. Ideally, applicants will use funds to execute an innovative project to ensure the growth and economic stability of their own business while creating a positive role model for others in the entrepreneurial community.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$5,000