Small-business grants can present funding for your enterprise that you just gained’t have to repay, which might be particularly interesting when beginning or rising your enterprise in Florida. Enterprise grants can be found for a variety of functions, from masking administrative prices and enterprise bills to funding analysis tasks and beautifying the outside of your storefront.
Our listing of small-business grants for Florida companies contains each state-specific and nationwide choices.
Florida small-business grants
These Florida-specific grants put aside for small companies could possibly be statewide, regional or city-specific, so you should definitely learn the necessities earlier than devoting time to the appliance.
Florida Excessive Tech Hall grant
In case your Florida startup is a high-tech firm, you could be eligible for a Florida High Tech Corridor grant. These grants are designed for analysis and growth tasks and companion companies with researchers on the College of Central Florida and the College of South Florida. Alternatives can be found in 23 Florida counties.
Eligible companies work with college researchers to create a challenge plan and price range, in addition to to submit the appliance. Functions are accepted all year long. If authorized, funds of as much as $150,000 are distributed on to the college analysis staff.
Prospera small-business grants
Prospera has been serving to Hispanic entrepreneurs begin new companies in Florida since 1991. This nonprofit financial growth group works with new and current Hispanic enterprise house owners to assist guarantee they’ve the instruments and assets wanted to succeed.
Prospera grants are awarded on a person foundation and supply for skilled providers associated to authorized and accounting assessments, enterprise plans, QuickBooks consulting, advertising plans and model kits for free of charge to the enterprise proprietor.
Enterprise Florida commerce grants
Florida export companies can apply for quite a lot of enterprise grants by the Florida Export Diversification and Growth Program. Grants are supplied for advertising plans, web site localization, market growth and commerce exhibits.
Some fundamental eligibility necessities for an Enterprise Florida trade grant are that the enterprise be positioned in Florida, be in operation for at least two years, make use of between three and 500 staff and have annual gross sales of $250,000 or extra. Every particular person grant has extra eligibility necessities.
Florida Small Enterprise Growth Heart (SBDC) Community
Via the Florida SBDC State Commerce Growth Program, eligible export companies might be reimbursed for export credit score insurance coverage, advertising plan prices and sure bills associated to commerce exhibits and U.S. Division of Commerce promotional occasions. Limits for reimbursement depend upon the expense, however there is a most of $15,000 per funding interval. To be eligible for the grant, a enterprise must be new to exporting or plan to make use of exporting to broaden their enterprise, amongst different necessities.
Floridians even have entry to skilled enterprise consulting providers by the SBDC for free of charge. Licensed consultants can assist you with enterprise planning, administration, advertising, monetary evaluation, funding, worldwide commerce, cybersecurity and catastrophe preparedness. Additionally out there are on-demand movies in addition to dwell workshops and seminars, which can require a nominal price to attend.
Metropolis of Orlando Enterprise Help Program
The Business Assistance Program (BAP) is an identical grant administered by the Financial Growth Division (EDD) with the objective of selling small-business growth and growth in Orlando, Florida. Enterprise house owners will probably be chargeable for 50% of eligible growth charges, whereas the EDD can pay the remaining 50% — as much as $20,000.
BAP can be utilized to assist with transportation affect charges, permits and different growth charges, in addition to enhancements comparable to sidewalk repairs, water line development, avenue enhancements, landscaping, avenue lighting, curb enhancements and electrical automobile charging infrastructure.
Small-business house owners should get metropolis approval and the right permits for his or her challenge earlier than they’ll obtain financing. Companies have to be positioned or relocating to the town of Orlando and be a small enterprise as outlined by the U.S. Small Enterprise Administration.
North Miami Neighborhood Redevelopment Company grants
North Miami CRA, an impartial authorities company, gives quite a few business grant packages, together with the Enterprise Attraction Grant, Beautification and Enhancement Grant, Rehabilitation Grant and Capability Constructing/Retention Grant. Grant most quantities vary from $7,500 to $150,000, relying on this system.
Every program has particular necessities, however normal eligibility necessities embrace that the enterprise be inside (or transferring to a constructing inside) the designated North Miami geographic boundary and the tasks should present advantages to the neighborhood. The Enterprise Attraction Grant and the Rehabilitation Grant require a 50% match by the enterprise.
Nationwide grants out there to Florida small companies
You might also wish to take into account these nationwide enterprise grants to assist fund your Florida small enterprise.
WomensNet grants
Girls entrepreneurs and small-business house owners in Florida ought to pay attention to the grants offered by WomensNet. This contains Amber Grant awards of $10,000 or $1,000 every month and a year-end Amber Grant value $25,000. Different grants embrace the $10,000 Startup Grant awarded quarterly, $10,000 Enterprise Class Grant awarded month-to-month and the annual Advertising and marketing Grant for advertising planning help.
To be eligible, a enterprise must be not less than 50% woman-owned and based mostly within the U.S. or Canada. By finishing one software, you’ll be thought of for all of the out there grants. Along with contact data, the appliance will ask you to elucidate your enterprise and the way you’d spend the grant cash. There’s an software price of $15.
Nationwide Affiliation for the Self-Employed (NASE) grant
NASE gives enterprise growth grants of as much as $4,000 to small companies and startups based mostly within the U.S. It has awarded virtually $1 million in small-business grants for the reason that program started in 2006.
To be eligible for a NASE Growth Grant, you have to be an energetic member of the group for not less than 90 days. As well as, you should display monetary want, present particulars on how your enterprise will use the grant cash, describe how receiving this grant will assist your enterprise thrive and supply a replica of your organization’s marketing strategy. You possibly can be a part of NASE for $11.95 a month.
FedEx Small Enterprise Grant Contest
The FedEx Small Business Grant Contest awards grants to small companies throughout the U.S. every year. Usually, FedEx reserves this grant cash for small companies with progressive concepts and people demonstrating the best monetary want. In 2023, FedEx named 10 grand prize winners to obtain $30,000 and $1,000 in print providers by this program.
Your online business have to be for-profit and have fewer than 99 staff to be eligible for the grant. Additionally, you’ll have to open and use a FedEx enterprise transport account. Extra eligibility necessities might apply.
America’s Seed Fund
Via the Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis (SBIR) and Small Enterprise Expertise Switch (STTR) packages, America’s Seed Fund gives grants designed to assist U.S. small companies within the expertise sector.
For your enterprise to be eligible for this grant, it have to be U.S.-owned, for-profit and centered on analysis and growth. You additionally will need to have fewer than 500 staff. To use, you’ll submit a proposal that will probably be reviewed and should obtain suggestions to additional refine your idea. Award quantities can vary from $50,000 to almost $2 million, relying on the part of growth.
Tricks to discover the suitable Florida small-business grant for you
The method of making use of for small enterprise grants could seem difficult, significantly as you’re attempting to get your enterprise off the bottom. Listed below are some suggestions to bear in mind as you discover grant alternatives.
Schedule time for grant functions
As a result of beginning a brand new enterprise is usually extraordinarily time-consuming, it may be useful to schedule time as soon as every week or extra to seek for and apply to eligible grant alternatives. Remember to completely analysis eligibility necessities to make sure your organization matches all the grant’s standards earlier than allocating time to the appliance course of.
Increase your search efforts
Look into native small-business grants in your space in addition to discover demographic-specific searches which will apply to you or your enterprise, comparable to:
Weigh grant software charges
One other vital consider making use of for small-business grants in Florida is contemplating software charges. Once you analysis eligible grants, take into account the price of making use of versus the advantages you’ll obtain. Maintaining observe of all doable grants you’ve researched, in addition to their charges, can assist you prioritize your software for inexpensive or no-cost grants.
Hold different funding in thoughts
Making use of for small-business grants in Florida doesn’t assure you’ll obtain help or the quantity you needed. Grants are particularly aggressive as a result of they supply debt-free funding. When you don’t obtain grant cash on your Florida enterprise, there are different funding choices to discover. Think about small-business loans, comparable to SBA loans. Your native Florida small-business financial institution may additionally have the ability to join you to alternatives. Moreover, chances are you’ll wish to take into account enterprise bank cards or crowdfunding choices to assist fund your enterprise.
Courtney Johnston, a contract author, contributed to this text.
A model of this text initially appeared on Fundera, a subsidiary of FinanceGrabber.