The Best Business Grants in Ohio

City of Columbus

Accelerate Columbus is the City of Columbus’s flagship small business support program, providing eligible Columbus small businesses with free access to a rotating slate of in-kind training, coaching, and consulting services delivered through 11 partner Entrepreneurial Support Organizations. Administered by the City of Columbus Department of Development, the program is funded entirely by the City and offered at no cost to participating businesses. Programs vary in length and format, with start and end dates set independently by each partner organization. Businesses must be ready to commit to the full length of any program they enroll in.

The partner-delivered offerings span a wide range of topic areas that typically include AI adoption and responsible use, marketing and brand messaging, sales coaching and process development, strategic planning and business plan development, website design and customization, financial literacy and bookkeeping (including QuickBooks support), video content and storytelling, pricing strategy, capital readiness, industry-specific accelerators for food, construction, and creative businesses, and peer networking and accountability circles. Many partners deliver their programming through structured multi-week cohorts, while others offer ongoing meetups, one-on-one consulting, or workshop series. Specific partners in recent years have included Brand Sway Video Story Studios, Buckeye Innovation, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Columbus Empowerment Corporation, EPiC Learning, First Sip Studios, Lighthouse Force, Small Business Consulting, and the Women’s Small Business Accelerator, among others.

To participate, applicants must operate a small business located within the City of Columbus corporate boundary. Each partner organization manages its own application process, cohort schedules, and selection criteria, so interested businesses apply directly to the specific partner program(s) that fit their needs. In addition to Accelerate Columbus, the City also operates the Columbus Small Business Hub (cbussmallbizhub.com), a broader resource portal where small businesses can find additional trainings, resources, and grant opportunities, and the Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization (NCR) program, which provides technical assistance, capital improvements, and planning services to six commercial areas surrounding downtown (Franklinton, Hilltop, Main St., Parsons Avenue, Long Street/Mt. Vernon, and North Linden/South Linden).

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$5,000

Cuyahoga County

The Cuyahoga County Business Boost Initiative provides Cuyahoga County, Ohio small businesses with grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, with $250,000 in total funding available per cycle. Administered by the Cuyahoga County Office of Small Business (OSB), the program is specifically designed to provide targeted financial assistance to the county's smallest businesses while connecting entrepreneurs with resources that can help them modernize and grow.

Unlike a traditional grant program focused only on distributing funding, the Business Boost Initiative combines financial assistance with business engagement, resource navigation, and technical assistance. Cuyahoga County is home to over 30,000 small businesses employing close to 300,000 residents, and the Office of Small Business fosters connections and collaborations between small businesses and various stakeholders across the county, including local chambers of commerce, trade associations, and industry leaders.

To qualify, applicants must operate a small business located in Cuyahoga County. Additional eligibility criteria and specific application requirements are made available through the OSB application portal during each application cycle.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$10,000

Cuyahoga county

The Cuyahoga County SBA-County-Municipal Initiative provides small businesses operating in participating Cuyahoga County, Ohio municipalities with performance grants (also structured as forgivable loans) of up to $50,000 (or 15 percent of total project costs, whichever is lower) to reduce the equity required to complete an SBA-backed financing project. Administered by the Cuyahoga County Department of Development in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and participating Cuyahoga County municipalities, the program’s purpose is to leverage traditional SBA financing to create jobs, strengthen local economies, and support small business growth across the county. The additional funding effectively lowers the equity requirement on an SBA project from the standard 25 percent down to just 10 percent, making otherwise difficult projects feasible and filling working capital gaps in commercial, industrial, and service-based projects.

The initiative is delivered through dedicated SBA-County-Municipal programs in each participating city, with Cuyahoga County and the participating municipality each contributing to the gap-fill grant. Current participating municipalities include Shaker Heights, Fairview Park, Cleveland Heights, Lakewood, and Maple Heights (with the Maple Heights version currently under development), in addition to the previously launched Cleveland Municipal Small Business Initiative administered by the City of Cleveland. Additional municipalities may be added over time as new partnerships are established.

To qualify, applicants must be able to secure an SBA-backed loan through a participating lender, undertake a project located within one of the participating municipalities, and meet both county and municipal program requirements. Applicants must also contribute at least 10 percent of the total project cost as equity. Project types typically include property acquisition, new construction or renovation, and the acquisition of equipment, furniture, and fixtures. Working capital expenses (such as rent, utilities, inventory, and payroll) are generally not eligible uses of program funds. As with the Cleveland version, awards are tied to job creation milestones, and the county tracks each recipient’s job creation progress for a defined period following project completion. Recipients may be required to execute a workforce development agreement to help match available positions with qualified job seekers, and if a business fails to meet its job creation performance milestones over the compliance period, the county may require repayment of some or all of the grant.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$50,000

Ohio Department of Development

The Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation and Start-Up Fund (TVSF) is a quarterly grant program that provides Ohio research institutions and Ohio startup companies with grants ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000 to commercialize technologies developed at Ohio research institutions through Ohio startup companies. Administered by the Ohio Department of Development’s Office of Technology Investments and funded through the state’s $2.1 billion Ohio Third Frontier initiative, the program is designed to accelerate the transition of promising technologies from research into the market. TVSF targets technologies and tech-enabled products or services in six focus areas: advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, biomedical and life sciences, energy, sensors, and software and information technology. The program is structured in two sequential phases.

Phase 1 (Technology Validation) is open only to Ohio institutions of higher education, Ohio nonprofit research institutions with a demonstrated history of technology commercialization, and federal research labs with a dedicated Technology Transfer Office. Phase 1 awards go to the institution, which then allocates the funds to individual technology validation projects. There are three funding options: Option 1 awards $200,000 to $500,000 with a required 1:1 cash cost share (one-year allocation period, two-year project period), Option 2 awards $1,000,000 with a required 1:1 cash cost share (two-year allocation period, three-year project period), and Option 3 awards $100,000 with no cost share but requires at least one supported internship position in lieu of match. Individual sub-projects funded through an institution’s pool are typically about one year in duration and under $150,000 in total cost. To qualify, the underlying technology must already have intellectual property protection (such as patent pending, invention disclosure, or trade secret protection for IT) and have advanced beyond basic research to at least a laboratory-scale proof of concept. Eligible expenses include personnel, purchased services, supplies, and equipment.

Phase 2 (Start-Up Fund) provides awards of up to $200,000 directly to Ohio-based for-profit startup and emerging companies that intend to license (or have just licensed) a validated technology from an Ohio research institution. Cost share is not required for Phase 2. To qualify, applicants must be an Ohio-based for-profit company with a principal place of business in Ohio (physical operations, long-term lease or ownership, and in-state senior management with decision-making authority), hold a federal tax identification number, and commit to continuing operations in the state. Applicants must either have an executed exclusive license agreement with the research institution that owns the technology, or be in active due diligence to secure one (with the signed license required within nine months of application submission). Technologies do not need to have been funded under Phase 1 to be eligible for Phase 2, but technologies that received Phase 1 funding must have completed that project with affirmative results before applying for Phase 2. Phase 2 project periods are one year in length, and applicants may apply up to three times for the same or largely the same technology. Eligible expenses include purchased services from vendors without a financial stake in the applicant, supplies, equipment, and personnel costs (capped at 20 percent of total budget).

Across both phases, program funds and cost share cannot be used for bonuses or incentive compensation, travel expenses, indirect costs, legal or patent prosecution fees, grant writing, grant administration, or (for Phase 2) sponsored research or licensing and royalty fees. At least 51 percent of the work performed under any funded project must occur within the state of Ohio, and awardees that relocate outside of Ohio during the project period may be required to refund expended grant funds. Awardees must submit quarterly project reports and annual metrics reports during the project period, along with annual metrics reports for an additional three years after the project period ends to document commercialization outcomes. Applications are submitted through the Ohio Third Frontier online proposal portal on a quarterly cycle, with new RFPs typically released in July (Phase 1) and October (Phase 2), and awards announced approximately three months after the application deadline.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$1,000,000

Cincinnati Chamber Foundation

The Cincinnati Chamber Johnson Foundation Grant provides new women-, minority-, or LGBTQ-owned small businesses in downtown Cincinnati with grants of $5,000 or $10,000 to help open storefront locations and revitalize vacant retail spaces in the center city. Administered by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Foundation and funded through a $100,000 grant from the Johnson Foundation, the program is designed to support the revitalization of currently vacant retail storefronts, create new jobs, and grow minority- and women-owned businesses in Cincinnati’s urban core.

To qualify, applicants must be a new woman-, minority-, or LGBTQ-owned business that is not currently open, located in one of three Cincinnati neighborhoods: the Central Business District, Over-the-Rhine, or Pendleton. Targeted business types include retail, restaurant, and other customer-facing industries that add to the vibrancy of these neighborhoods. Qualifying businesses must have already signed a lease with a landlord prior to accepting the grant and must open their storefront location within 90 days of receiving the award. Individual grant amounts (either $5,000 or $10,000) are determined by the selection committee based on the size and scope of the new business.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by a selection committee of representatives from the Cincinnati Chamber and the Johnson Foundation, which meets monthly to make award decisions. The application requires general contact and business information, a description of the services the business will provide, a narrative on how funds will be used and how they will support employees, lease terms along with landlord contact information, a document upload containing budget details (total startup costs, funds raised to date, and funding sources such as bank loans, personal funds, or support from friends and family), a document upload of the business plan, and up to three letters of reference from the building owner or leasing agent of the property (or from a financial partner, if the building is owner-occupied).

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$10,000

City of Cleveland

The Cleveland Municipal Small Business Initiative provides Cleveland small businesses with recoverable grants of up to $50,000 (or 15 percent of total project costs, whichever is lower) to reduce the equity required to complete an SBA-backed financing project. Administered by the City of Cleveland's Economic Development Department in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Cuyahoga County, the grant is funded half by the City and half by the County. The program's purpose is to leverage traditional SBA financing to help small businesses create jobs and opportunities in the City of Cleveland, effectively lowering the equity requirement on an SBA project from 25 percent to 10 percent.

To qualify, applicants must be able to secure an SBA-backed loan through a participating lender and meet the City of Cleveland's program requirements. Projects must create at least one permanent full-time job for every $35,000 in City funds received, and applicants must contribute at least 10 percent of the total project cost as equity. The City tracks each recipient's job creation progress annually for up to three years following project completion, and recipients must execute a City Workforce Development Agreement (a free service provided by Ohio Means Jobs that matches unemployed skilled workers with available positions at the recipient business).

Eligible uses of grant funds include property acquisition, new construction or renovation, and the acquisition of equipment, furniture, and fixtures. Working capital expenses (such as rent, utilities, inventory, and payroll) are not eligible uses and are also excluded from the calculation of total project costs used to determine the grant amount. As part of the grant terms, the City takes a UCC lien on the business's assets, personal guarantees from the business owner are typically required, and additional collateral may be required at the City's discretion. If the business fails to meet the job creation performance milestones over the three-year tracking period, the City may require repayment of some or all of the grant.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$50,000

City of Cleveland

The Tech Delta Program is designed to supply financial assistance to tech and medical companies relocating or expanding within the City of Cleveland. These companies experience much higher build-out costs or rental rates due to specific technological needs for their operations. The Department of Economic Development will offer grants on a square footage basis ($5/SF) up to $50,000. This grant would financially support upgrades, and in turn, make it financially feasible to expand operations or to lower rents. Therefore, companies with expenses associated with tech and lab buildout beyond standard “white-box” space are ideal candidates for the program.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$50,000

Montgomery County, OH

Montgomery County’s Economic Development/Government Equity (ED/GE) Grant Program, is designed to benefit companies that create and retain local jobs by investing in their growth in Montgomery County. The competitive program distributes grant funds twice a year (spring and fall) to finance permanent improvement projects (new building construction, renovation, power upgrades, plumbing, parking, etc.)

Projects are evaluated by a committee of public and private representatives that evaluate the number and quality of the jobs created, the capital investment, as well as the impact each project has on the community.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$10,000

City of Columbus

The Experience Columbus Small Business Program (SBP) provides minority-owned Columbus small businesses with a free, year-long marketing partnership with Experience Columbus, the Greater Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau. Administered by Experience Columbus with support from Councilmember Nick Bankston, the program is designed to integrate selected minority-owned businesses into the organization’s broader partnership network of more than 900 businesses connected to the Columbus region’s nearly $10 billion tourism industry, providing visibility to visitors, media, and other partners that would otherwise require a paid partnership.

Every SBP partner receives a listing on experiencecolumbus.com, a listing in two annual Visitor Guides (distributed in both digital and print formats), access to free partner events, access to Experience Columbus’s partner database and other online business resources, and the opportunity to potentially be featured on Experience Columbus social media, journalist and influencer visit itineraries, and other visibility opportunities. SBP partners also gain access to promotional programs like Community Catch Up (a collaboration with iHeart Media) and the Spotlight on Minority Owned Business series (interviews conducted on NBC4), along with additional interviews distributed through Urban One and other media partners.

To be considered, applicants must operate a minority-owned business located in Columbus. Interested businesses can apply directly through the Experience Columbus Small Business Program page, and businesses that do not meet SBP eligibility criteria can still explore becoming a general Experience Columbus Partner through the standard paid partnership program.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$5,000

Hamilton County

The Hamilton County Microenterprise Advancement Passport (MAP) Grant Program provides microenterprises in Hamilton County, Ohio with grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 to help access capital, strengthen operations, and support business growth. Administered by the Hamilton County Department of Planning and Development’s Community Development division and funded through federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, the program is designed to support small, locally owned businesses whose owners meet the program’s income eligibility criteria. The program is available to businesses located in most of Hamilton County, but is not available to businesses within the City of Cincinnati, Blue Ash, Evendale, Indian Hill, Terrace Park, or Milford (which operate their own CDBG programs). Businesses can verify their physical city of operation using the Ohio Department of Taxation’s “The Finder” address lookup tool.

Because the program is funded with federal CDBG dollars, applicants must meet maximum household income thresholds (which are updated each program year and apply to the business owner’s household income before taxes). Recent program year thresholds have ranged from approximately $61,550 for a 1-person household up to approximately $116,050 for an 8-person household. Applicants must also complete the program’s two-session training participation requirement. Qualifying sessions cover topics such as using AI tools to build marketing plans, capability statements, and business plans; social media marketing and brand development; and business plan preparation for funding readiness. Sessions are offered live during Hamilton County’s annual Small Business Day event (held each spring at the Sharonville Convention Center) and through limited make-up sessions hosted at Alloy Growth Lab in Cincinnati in the days following. Attendance is tracked via QR code sign-in forms at each session.

The program follows an annual spring cycle, typically launching in early May with Small Business Day held in mid-May, make-up sessions a few days later, applications due in early June, and award decisions announced by the end of July. Applications are submitted through Hamilton County’s Neighborly Software portal. Interested businesses can submit general program questions to MAPprogram@hamiltoncountyohio.gov.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$10,000

JobsOhio

The JobsOhio Small Business Grant offers up to $50,000 in financial assistance to eligible small businesses in Ohio looking to grow their operations.

To be eligible, a business must be in operation for at least a year and have revenue between $100,000 and $25 million. Grant amounts can be used for eligible costs such as machinery, equipment, buildings, new construction, land, technical improvements, revitalization costs and more.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$50,000

Cleveland State University

The Morgan Startup Grant provides Cleveland State University (CSU) affiliated entrepreneurs with microgrants ranging from $250 to $3,000 to support testing, launching, and growing new business ideas. Administered by the Weston Ideation Lab within CSU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Ahuja College of Business and powered by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation along with contributions from Jim Kandrac and Richard Faber, the program is designed to help founders take meaningful next steps in their ventures. The grant is offered through two tiers: Launch Grants of $250 to $1,000 for new ventures or early-stage ideas, and Scale Up Grants of $1,001 to $3,000 for ventures that are already launched and actively operating (which must demonstrate at least six months of revenue generation to qualify).

Eligible applicants include CSU students, CSU faculty and staff, CSU alumni, and CSU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) clients who are actively registered with the CSU SBDC prior to the program’s cutoff date. The business idea or product behind the proposed venture must be inspired or made by the founder themselves, and ventures that are part of another business (such as multi-level or pyramid models, franchises, or similar structures) are not eligible. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and funding is limited (not every eligible applicant will receive an award).

Grant recipients are expected to actively engage with the Weston Ideation Lab and the broader CSU entrepreneurship community throughout the funding period. Upon award, recipients must provide a company logo and headshot or team photo, attend two meetings with a member of the Weston Ideation Lab team, post two LinkedIn updates on their business progress (tagging the Weston Ideation Lab, the Ahuja College of Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation using the designated program hashtag), participate in an in-person pitch session with other microgrant awardees, submit progress updates at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days post-award, and complete the Burton D. Morgan Startup Grant survey each year. Failure to meet all program requirements may result in loss of grant funding and a requirement to return awarded funds.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$3,000

OH Department of Development

Eligible businesses can receive up to $10,000 per year to reimburse 50% of the expenses they incur while expanding their export sales. Businesses must be for-profit, have an exportable product or service and be in operation for at least a year (among other requirements) in order to be eligible for this grant.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$10,000

City of Oxford

The City of Oxford has created a new funding opportunity for businesses in Oxford that provides capital for up to $2,500 or 50% of costs for projects that improve sustainability and/or building facades.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$2,500

West Chester Township

The West Chester Spark Small Business Revitalization Grant provides small businesses in West Chester Township, Ohio with reimbursement grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to fund aesthetic exterior improvements that beautify the "front door" of their business. Administered by the West Chester Township Board of Trustees through the Economic Development Manager, the program is designed to drive revitalization in the township's neighborhoods and business corridors by helping business owners invest in improvements that enhance the appearance of their properties.

Eligible projects include exterior painting or lighting, outdoor gathering spaces (patios, seating, courtyards), hardscaping, landscaping, signage upgrades or replacements, awnings, and demolition of existing structures. Projects that have already been permitted, completed, or are underway are not eligible. To qualify, applicants must be a locally owned private business (no nonprofits or private residences), be located in West Chester Township, be either the property owner or a tenant (with written approval from the property owner), be in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, and have 20 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees.

Businesses are limited to one Spark Grant per calendar year and no more than four Spark Grants over the lifetime of the business, with the award amount reduced by 25 percent for each consecutive-year renewal. Grant amounts are determined by the strength of each application, with scoring based on the quality of the design proposal, project location, job creation and impact, the positive impact of the project on the surrounding neighborhood, and the amount of private contribution the applicant will leverage beyond the requested funds. Grants are distributed as reimbursements via ACH after project completion, and are considered taxable income for the recipient.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$10,000

City of Fairfield, OH

The Fairfield Commercial Revitalization Grant (CRG) provides Fairfield, Ohio building owners and small business owners with matching grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to fund exterior improvements to commercial properties. Administered by the Fairfield Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) with staffing support from the City of Fairfield's Development Services Department, the program is designed to strengthen the economic vitality of the city's commercial business districts by improving the appearance of storefronts and other commercial properties. Grantees are required to provide at least 20 percent matching funds.

To be eligible, applicants must operate a for-profit small business with 25 or fewer employees, use the property for a commercial purpose (such as retail, restaurant, or office space), be current on taxes, and be in compliance with all relevant codes. Eligible improvements include exterior work such as façade repairs, cleaning, and painting, replacement of obsolete signage, storefronts, awnings, doors, and windows, landscaping and site improvements, and associated design and engineering costs. Funds cannot be used for interior improvements, roof repairs or replacement, additions or new construction, machinery or equipment, minor routine maintenance, or improvements already underway. The application process requires interested applicants to obtain two cost estimates for planned improvements and to complete a pre-application meeting before submitting a formal funding application.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$25,000

City of Toledo

The Vibrancy Initiative is a collection of grant programs designed to support revitalization efforts that create jobs, reduce blight, and preserve and improve structures in Toledo, OH. The program includes three separate grants, all available on the same timeframe.

Facade Improvement Grant Program
The Facade Improvement Grant program helps property owners transform the facade of commercial, industrial, and mixed-use buildings by providing a 50% matching grant to reimburse expenses incurred during a comprehensive facade improvement.

Planning Grant Program
The Planning Grant Program provides financial support to small businesses and property owners seeking to activate ground-floor commercial spaces for occupancy by a new business – particularly in historically significant legacy commercial corridors.

White Box Grant Program
The White Box Grant program helps property owners bring vacant first-floor commercial spaces up to current code to create a functional "white box" space ready for customization and occupancy by a business.

$ GRANT AMOUNT

$75,000