Grants for Business Launch and Growth
As a service for our small business clients, the Pace SBDC keeps a running list of grants that provide financing to entrepreneurs looking to grow or expand their small businesses. If you're looking for COVID-19 relief related grants, check out our Privately-Funded COVID-19 Grant Programs and Government-Funded COVID-19 Grant Programs pages.
Privately-Funded Growth & Launch Grants
This program helps local restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food/beverage businesses adopt AI tools to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer engagement.
Please complete all sections. Selected businesses will be contacted to schedule onboarding sessions. Upon completion of the program, participating businesses will receive a $5,000 grant to support their operations.
If you are a non food/beverage business based in Manhattan, stay tuned for a second cohort open to all sectors.
Deadline: 1/18/26
The Citizens NYC Neighborhood Business Grant (NBG) program supports small businesses that play a vital role in strengthening New York City neighborhoods. Through this grant, Citizens NYC provides funding to help local businesses grow, adapt, and continue serving their communities.
To be eligible, applicants must be:
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A small business operating in New York City
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Actively serving a local neighborhood or community
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Meeting Citizens NYC’s small business eligibility criteria outlined on their website
Selected businesses will receive $5,000 grant awards to support operating expenses and business improvements.
Deadline: 2/2/26
The Downtown Alliance is looking to activate a handful of these vacant storefronts with exciting pop-up retailers who will help us revitalize the neighborhood ahead of an expected influx of tourism next summer tied to the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations. Selected pop-up activators will receive:
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Free, temporary space (approximately three months) in the District
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Grant funding up to $15,000 to cover related expenses
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Assistance with fitout, design, permitting and insurance
Preferred criteria:
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Intent to generate revenue through the pop-up, either through retail sales, event ticketing or another means.
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Retail focus
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Minimum commitment to 5 days per week and/or at least one weekend day and one day with evening hours.
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Experience with retail operations in New York City, with a preference for experience operating a storefront.
Deadline: 2/6/2026
The Amber Grant by WomensNet is providing $10,000 and $25,000 grants for female entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams.
To be eligible, applicants must be a women-owned business or a female entrepreneur. Further, Applicants must share their business or business idea and explain how they would use the grant money.
Deadline: Monthly
The program is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs grow their businesses with five up-to $20K grants, access to industry experts and founder network.
Presented by the Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Queens Economic Development Corporation, the multi-week program offers high-level entrepreneurial classes, one-on-one office hours with QEDC mentors & advisors, networking events with startup founders, and cash prizes (five up-to $20K awards).
Deadline: 3/2/2026
The CERF+ Emergency Relief Grant provides financial assistance to artists working in craft disciplines who have experienced a recent, career-threatening emergency. This program is designed to help artists recover from setbacks caused by natural disasters, accidents, illness, or other unforeseen events that impact their ability to sustain their creative practice.
To be eligible, applicants must:
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Be a professional artist working in a craft discipline (such as wood, metal, fiber, ceramics, glass, or mixed media craft), and
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Have experienced a recent emergency—such as fire, flood, theft, illness, or accident—that has significantly affected their ability to work and generate income.
Deadline: Applications are accepted on rolling basis allowing artists to apply whenever an emergency occurs.
Public Sector Grant Programs
New York State has launched a Pre-Seed and Seed Matching Fund Program which will offer early-stage start-up companies in high-growth industries $50,000 to $250,000 in growth assistance, which they will match with funds from private sector co-investors.
SBIR/STTR programs support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy.
The Global NY State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) offers reimbursable grants of up to $5,000 to qualifying small and medium-sized business engaging in exporting for expenses related to participation in trade missions, trade shows exhibitions, export training, website translation, and development of international marketing campaigns.
As of June 16, 2025 all STEP funding has been allocated. Any applications submitted on or after June 16, 2025 will be placed on a waiting list. If funds become available in the future, the company will be contacted.
The Global NY Grant Program offers reimbursable grants of up to $25,000 to help companies customize for export markets, participate in trade shows, and undertake product adaptation to meet foreign regulatory requirements.
HVAC small businesses can hire students and recent grads and get reimbursed for up to 90% of intern wages! The program offers access to a pool of qualified candidates and supports flexible internship schedules.
NYC's Department of Small Business Services offers a Customized Training Grant Program to reimburse 60% of training costs incurred by eligible small businesses. Businesses must train at least 10 employees who are either currently or after training will be working full time, be based in NYC, and must pay for training upfront as the program reimburses participants quarterly.
The New York State Department of Labor has grants available for businesses who wish to train both existing and new employees. Each of their programs have unique eligibility requirements and generally necessitate that businesses have and train more than one employee.
Empire State Development’s Employee Training Incentive Program provides tax credits to science and technology businesses that train employees (50% of eligible training costs, up to $10,000 per employee receiving eligible training) and/or host internships (50% of the stipend paid to an intern, up to $3,000 per intern).