Backing Small Businesses

Supporting Economic Vitality for Small Business Owners

In partnership with American Express, the Backing Small Businesses grant program supports economically vulnerable and under-resourced small businesses with community reach. This year, eligible small business owners can apply for $10,000 grants for projects that grow or improve their businesses by building community, supporting their economic viability, or bolstering meaningful change.

Applications will be accepted from 9:00 am CT on March 14, 2024, through 11:59 pm CT on April 7, 2024. The application period will end once 5,000 applications have been submitted, even if that occurs before the deadline. 

Robert Capone, owner of Capone’s Hoagies in Newkirk, OK, was a grant recipient in the third cycle of Backing Small Businesses in 2022.  Photo courtesy of Capone’s Hoagies.

Kim and Chris Casteel, co-owners of Anew Life Prosthetics and Orthotics, were grant recipients of Backing Small Businesses in the first cycle of Backing Small Businesses in 2022. Photo courtesy of Anew Life Prosthetics and Orthotics.

Elisa Lyew, owner of Elisa’s Love Bites in New York, NY, was a grant recipient in the fourth cycle of Backing Small Businesses in 2022.  Photo courtesy of Elisa’s Love Bites Dessert Atelier.

Carina Brooks King, owner of Carina Esthetics, was a grant recipient in the second cycle of Backing Small Businesses in 2022. Photo courtesy of Carina Esthetics.

Program Description

In 2021, American Express and Main Street America created the Backing Small Businesses grant program to help under-resourced and economically vulnerable small business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow their businesses. In its first year, the program awarded $1.65 million in grants to 330 small business owners nationwide, and in its second year the program awarded over $2.3 million in grants to an additional 350 businesses. 
 
Now in its third year, the program will increase grants awarded and double total funding to more than $5.7 million to further support under-resourced and economically vulnerable small business owners in building their economic vitality and fostering a thriving community. In March 2024, applications will open for 500 small business grants of $10,000 to eligible businesses in the U.S. and U.S. territories.  
 
Of the 500 recipients selected for $10,000 grants, a limited subset of 25 recipients will be awarded $30,000 Enhancement Grants, which will allow those business owners the opportunity to create transformative change within their business and in their community (for example, by giving back, partnering with community members, addressing cultural, environmental and/or access needs in their community, opening a new location and/or adding staffing). Recipients of the $10,000 grant will be required to submit a final grant report using a template provided. In addition to questions regarding the completed project, the report will include prompts on how the business would use the $30,000 Enhancement Grant. Enhancement Grant project proposals can be related to the $10,000 grant proposal or they may constitute a separate project.  
 
Please note that project proposals for the $10,000 grant application should be feasible to complete with only the $10,000 award. The $30,000 Enhancement Grants are available only to recipients of the initial $10,000 grant who successfully complete their projects. Enhancement Grant project proposals are completed separately, through the final grant report for the initial $10,000 grant.  

What Do We Mean by "Community Reach"?

A small business with community reach is involved in and critical to the surrounding community or serves a cultural- or ability-specific need. These businesses are often long-standing or legacy businesses that provide continuity and a sense of identity to a neighborhood or specific cultural group. Businesses with community reach have also been intentional about developing core values and a business model that supports their communities or addresses an acute community need. For example, a business that regularly hosts free concerts featuring local artists, or a shop that provides goods or services that uniquely serve a customer base in the community. 

Informational Webinar

What types of businesses are eligible?

Businesses must meet the following criteria to apply: 
 
  • The applicant must be an owner of the business.  
  • The applicant must be at least age 18 years or older. 
  • The business must be in a "bricks-and-mortar" location and operate in an older or historic main street, downtown, or commercial district in the United States. The business must have occupied their current bricks-and-mortar location since January 1, 2024. (Home-based businesses, even those located in historic neighborhoods, are not eligible. Brick and mortar businesses located outside of historic downtowns and commercial corridors, including, but not limited to, office parks and shopping malls are also not eligible.) 
  • The business must be an independent business and not part of a franchise. 
  • The business must employ 20 or less full time employees.  
  • The business must have been in operation on or before January 1, 2023. 
  • The business must be a business entity in good standing in the state in which it was formed and the state in which it does business. 
  • The business must have an active business license, if required by state or local government. (Applicants may be asked to provide documentation if selected.) 

What types of grant expenses are eligible?

Eligible grant expenses include but are not limited to: 
 
  • Accessibility Upgrades (Examples: ramp, menu translation, accessible website redesign for visually impaired people, etc.)  
  • Community Events and Programs (Examples: open mic night, public educational/training workshops, hosting community fund raisers, partnerships with other small businesses)  
  • Equipment and Inventory (Examples: point of sale device/software, purchasing of items for sale, display cases, kitchen equipment)  
  • Marketing (Examples: investing in social media campaign, building a website, etc.)  
  • Operational Strategy (Examples: branding package, accounting software, business coaching, and other types of support that would increase the viability of your business)  
  • Physical Improvements (Examples: signage, awnings, painting facade, new shelving, new lighting, etc.)  
  • Sustainability Upgrades (Examples: solar panels, rain garden adjacent to business, investing in reusable/compostable/recyclable packaging alternatives, etc.)  
  • Technology Upgrades (Examples: building an online storefront, online ordering system, or other e-commerce platform) 
  • Utilities (Note: Must not be more than $2000 or 20% of the requested funds) 
    Note that payroll expenses are not eligible. 

How will recipients be chosen?

Applications will be reviewed based on:  
 
  • Feasibility:
    • Proposed project must be completed with $10,000 grant by September 9, 2024. 
  • Need:
    • What are the business’s net sales?
    • What are some of the systemic challenges the business is facing? Applicants will be asked to explain the context of the business. For example: is the business experiencing skilled staffing shortages, supply chain issues, and/or high bank loan interest rates? 
  • Impact:
    • Applicants should demonstrate both need for financial support and viability of their business to successfully make an impact with a grant. How much will a grant impact the business itself in leveraging sales, grow their customer base, or better sustain the business in some way? 
  • Community Reach:
    • How involved is the applicant’s small business in their community? How much would the business serve a community-specific need through a grant? 

Program Timeline

  • Applications Open on 9 a.m. CT on March 14, 2024 
  • Applications Close at 11:59 p.m. CT on April 7, 2024 (or once 5,000 applications have been submitted, if that occurs before April 7, so early submitting is encouraged) 
  • Grant Recipients Notified by mid-June 2024 
  • Grant Reports Due by September 16, 2024 

GUÍA DE SOLICITUD

La página de solicitud en Submittable, nuestra plataforma de envío para este programa, también debe poder traducirse a varios idiomas a través de Google Translate; esta es una oferta adicional que ofrecemos por primera vez para uno de nuestros programas de subvenciones. Si utiliza este documento y desea brindar comentarios sobre su experiencia, envíenos un correo electrónico a SmallBizGrant@mainstreet.org.

APPLICATION GUIDE

This document is being made available to applicants for the Backing Small Businesses 2024 Grant Program, and is intended to be used to help make the application process available to a wide array of applicants, including those for whom English may not be the language they best understand. This document may be provided to a translation service to translate the application questions and instructional text into their preferred language. The application page on Submittable, our submission platform for this program, should also be translatable into multiple languages via Google Translate – this is an additional offering we are providing for the first time for one of our grant programs. If you do use this document and would like to provide feedback about your experience, please email us at SmallBizGrant@mainstreet.org.

This program marks the latest effort in American Express’ “Backing Small” initiative to provide financial support and resources to independent small business owners who are serving their communities. Other Backing Small programs include Backing Historic Small Restaurants and Backing International Historical Small Restaurants. Backing Small complements American Express’ Shop Small, a global year-round effort to champion small, independent businesses.  
 
Backing Small Businesses is one of many grant programs administered by Main Street America that are designed to enhance economic vitality and foster entrepreneurship in historic neighborhoods and commercial districts. For more information about funding opportunities through Main Street America and its partner organizations, please visit our Funding Opportunities webpage. 

Resources for Small Business Owners 

 

Main Street Business Insights Podcast

Every Wednesday, tune into the Main Street Business Insights podcast, highlighting downtown and neighborhood entrepreneurs succeeding along Main Street. Learn about the innovative ways that these Main Street businesses have overcome adversity and the advice they have for others on how to keep their businesses on track. 
 

Main Street Online, powered by GoDaddy 

This free assessment tool was designed by industry experts to provide consultative recommendations to businesses of all stages and ages with 20 or fewer employees in the following sectors: Retail, Service Providers, Food & Beverage. 
 

Resources for Small Business Supporters 

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building 

Supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, this resource center provides tools and information on building greater local support systems around entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Sign up for Main Street America’s small business emails to stay connected with us about new resources and future funding opportunities! 

CARE works to save lives, defeat poverty, achieve social justice, and fight for women and girls.

EAF provides refugee entrepreneurs access to financial products and services that promote economic opportunity.

Small Business Majority is a national small business organization that empowers America's diverse entrepreneurs to build a thriving and equitable economy.

The Center for Community Progress is a national nonprofit dedicated to tackling vacant properties and revitalizing communities.

Hispanic Federation is the nation’s premier Latino nonprofit membership organization that empowers the Hispanic community.

The largest national Indian specific business organization in the nation.

Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide.

National ACE serves as a strong advocate for AANHPI small business owners across the country.

Questions?

Contact SmallBizGrant@mainstreet.org or call (708) 515-4889 and leave a voicemail with any other questions. 
 
Please allow up to two (2) full business days to respond to all inquiries.  
 
Main Street America (the National Main Street Center) has partnered with American Express to launch the “Backing Small Businesses (the “Backing Small Businesses grant program”) which is administered by Main Street America. All Applications become the sole property of the Sponsor and information from the Applications may be provided to American Express. Please review the Main Street America privacy policy here: https://www.mainstreet.org/mainstreetamerica/privacypolicy.