Small-business owners and entrepreneurs who have never taken the step into brick-and-mortar retail have a new chance to do so in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood.
That’s because a storefront incubator program dubbed #MadeOnMott is offering rising entrepreneurs a chance to operate out of a fully built-out local storefront for three months. The program is run by Welcome to Chinatown Inc., a nonprofit that aims to strengthen the neighborhood's small-business community. The program's name is a reference to the neighborhood's featured Mott Street.
Here's what's available: A fully built-out store with no construction costs and no waiting; the business owner pays just $700 per month plus utilities and insurance and a single-digit percentage of sales. The business “residency” will go to four entrepreneurs, each of whom will have it for three months starting in January and continuing into early 2028. The window for applications to the program closes Aug. 30.
For business owners looking for financial assistance and opportunities elsewhere, here's a rundown of grant programs now open to applications:
SBA offers $500K grants to teach businesses to scale
The Small Business Administration's new Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program makes available 20 grants of up to $500,000 each, with a total of $9 million in funding available. The SBA in its announcement of the program said the offering is designed to help small businesses address supply chain issues and grow beyond them.
The program is open to public and private entities, as well as nonprofits and other organizations that can deliver accelerator programming, technical assistance, industry engagement or related support services for small businesses, according to the SBA. The deadline for proposal submissions is 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 7.
SBA offers grants to aid women-owned businesses
The SBA last month also unveiled its Women’s Business Center Modernization Initiative, through which it is offering $6 million in grants to organizations in Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wyoming and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those are all locations the agency said have been historically underfunded in the existing WBC program.
The money will go toward a total of eight locations that can provide counseling and training services to women-owned small businesses. The SBA said the modernization initiative is a standalone program, and all current Women Business Center entities will operate normally. The deadline for proposal submissions is Aug. 10.
Breva Thrive Grant program
The Thrive Grant by small-business funding and coaching platform Breva is offered on a rolling basis throughout the year. The winner receives a $5,000 grant. The coming application cycle closes Oct. 31, with winners typically notified about 45 days later.
Applicants must have demonstrated an impact on the surrounding community, such as new jobs, new products or making services more accessible. Applicants are strongly preferred to have been in operation more than a year and must be generating revenue prior to the grant.
$5k for a woman entrepreneur
The Breakthrough Grant, sponsored by Her Agenda, offers $5,000 to help take a founder to the next level. Applications are due Sept. 18.
Additional grants business owners can apply for throughout 2026 include:
Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready program: Business owners who sign up for the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready online community will be eligible to apply for grants throughout the year. The company provides up to $1 million in grant funding a year.
Amber Grant's monthly and annual awards: The Amber Grant program was created in 1998 to empower women business owners. Every month, WomensNet awards three $10,000 grants to women-owned businesses. A $50,000 grant is given to one of the monthly award winners at the end of the year. A business must be at least 50% woman-owned and must operate in the United States or Canada to be eligible. The deadline to apply is the last day of the month by midnight.
The National Science Foundation: The National Science Foundation’s America’s Seed Fund provides millions in grant funding to small businesses and startups with big ideas. The grant program gives out roughly $200 million per year to eligible businesses.
The National Association for the Self-Employed: The National Association for the Self-Employed has a $4,000 growth grant that it offers on a rolling basis. Only members are eligible.
Read the the original article in The Washington Business Journal.