Business and Commerce Grants

$15 application fee

Requires dollar-for-dollar matching funds from another source. No direct online application — apply through your regional Small Business Development Center (Southwest Virginia Community College or Mountain Empire Community College) with support from your county's industrial development authority. Awards are considered in semi-annual rounds; no FY27 deadline has been published yet, so confirm the current round with the SBDC. No application fee.

Requires paid NASE membership (monthly members wait 90 days; annual members may apply immediately).

$100 application fee · Requires completing the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth (CRG) business training program ($100 per attendee, itself an eligible grant expense) — all sessions must be attended. The 2026 cohort ran June 15 to July 7, 2026 and has concluded; confirm the next cohort directly with CRG before applying. Grant funds are subject to recapture on a five-year sliding scale (100% within one year, down to 20% by year five) if the business defaults.

Owner household income must be Low/Moderate as defined by HUD. Requires a meeting with a Maine Small Business Development Center advisor and the prior year's personal income tax filing before applying. No application fee.

Requires proof of participation in an entrepreneurial program within the last 5 years, a current Cobb County (or City-within-Cobb) business license, and a commitment to remain in Cobb County for at least 3 years after the award. Franchises, home-based businesses, and nonprofits are not eligible. No application fee.