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City of Raleigh
Building Up-fit Grant
The City of Raleigh’s Building Up-fit Grant encourages growth and development by assisting property owners who want to activate their vacant or underutilized commercial building space in Raleigh to create new business use or new jobs.
Façade Grant Program
The City of Raleigh’s Façade Grant Program helps businesses and property owners in older commercial areas upgrade and improve their building’s exterior appearance. Since the program’s inception in the early 1980s, it has assisted in the rehabilitation of more than 100 buildings, increasing their attractiveness to new customers and contributing a positive influence toward revitalization of their respective areas.
Impact Partner Grant
The City of Raleigh has placed a priority on helping innovators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to start, stay, and grow in Raleigh, with an added emphasis on underrepresented entrepreneurs. As such, the City adopted the Impact Partner Grant program which provides funding to innovation ecosystem partners – including startups, non-profits, social enterprises, and universities – for bold new initiatives to enhance the lives of others.
Downtown Raleigh Alliance Storefront Upfit Grant
The goal of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance Storefront Upfit Grant is to incentivize and attract new retail, restaurant, and service businesses, aid in the expansion of existing retail businesses, direct support to strategic areas, accommodate pop-up uses that may convert to long-term tenants, better support Minority and Women-owned businesses, and ultimately drive a healthy and strong storefront economy in Downtown Raleigh.
State of North Carolina
Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG)
The Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) is a performance-based, discretionary incentive program that provides cash grants directly to new and expanding companies to help offset the cost of locating or expanding a facility in the state of North Carolina. The amount of the grant is based on a percentage of the personal income tax withholdings associated with the new jobs. This grant applies for companies that have a hundred or more employees.
One North Carolina Fund
The One North Carolina Fund (OneNC) is a discretionary cash-grant program that allows the Governor to respond quickly to competitive job-creation projects. Awards are based on the number of jobs created, level of investment, location of the project, economic impact of the project and the importance of the project to the state and region. This grant applies for companies that have a hundred or more employees.
SBIR/STTR Small Business Technology Funding
The NIH SBIR program funds early stage small businesses that are seeking to commercialize innovative biomedical technologies. This competitive program helps small businesses participate in federal research and development, develop life-saving technologies, and create jobs.
Wake County
Business Development Grant
Wake County’s Business Development Grant offers a series of five tiers with investment and job thresholds. Special consideration may be provided for corporate, regional, or Fortune 500 companies’ divisional headquarters projects and large international companies.
Pathway to Entrepreneurship Mini-Grants
The mini-grant programs are designed to support participants of the Pathway to Entrepreneurship (PTE) program in launching and growing their businesses through three distinct phases.
Mini-Grant #1 provides an initial $500 to help participants formally establish their business, covering costs like forming an LLC, purchasing bookkeeping software, and obtaining essential insurance. To qualify, participants must complete a business plan and confirm their intent to start the business after discussing with PTE staff.
Mini-Grant #2 offers additional funds to participants who have registered their business with the State of North Carolina and used the first grant. This grant supports foundational elements such as creating a website, purchasing a domain name, and executing digital marketing strategies.
Mini-Grant #3 is aimed at businesses in the growth phase, helping them achieve sustainability. Funds can be used for professional development, attending business events, obtaining certifications, joining business organizations, and acquiring necessary equipment. Participants must submit receipts for previous expenditures and be assessed by PTE staff to qualify for this final grant.