Small Business Grants in New York
Global NY is the grant a New York founder can file today. It pays back half of what you spend on exporting, up to $25,000.
Global NY is the grant a New York founder can file today. It pays back half of what you spend on exporting, up to $25,000. The rule most lists leave out is that at least 51 percent of the value of what you sell has to start in New York. Most of the rest of this page pays a city or a town rather than a business. The Consolidated Funding Application, the one form that pools money from eight state agencies, shut for the scored 2026 round at 4pm on 31 July. The NYSTAR match for a federal research award opens for one week from October 14.
Which New York grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 13 programs on this page into likely fits and long shots. Nothing personal is asked or stored, and final eligibility is always decided by the granting agency.
New York Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to New York small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Global NY Fund Grant Program
Empire State Development
Up to $25,000
RollingThe one New York grant a business files for itself and can file today. Up to $25,000, paid back after you spend it, covering half of what an export project costs. Applications run all year and take about 90 days. The eligibility rule that catches most firms is not the size test, it is origin. At least 51 percent of the value of the finished product or service has to come from New York, counting raw materials, parts, the work itself, advertising, distribution, warehousing and design, unless you hold a local producer badge such as Made in NY. You also need 500 or fewer staff in the state and a year of trading. The money covers market customisation, trade shows and missions, export workshops and product changes for foreign rules. Nothing you spend before the award letter is reimbursed, apart from a trade show booth deposit.
Apply / Learn MoreNYSTAR Innovation Matching Grants Program
Empire State Development (NYSTAR)
Up to $100,000 Phase I or $200,000 Phase II, capped at half your federal award
Deadline Oct 20, 2026A top up on a federal award you are already chasing, not a grant you can win on its own. New York matches an SBIR or STTR award up to $100,000 at Phase I and $200,000 at Phase II, and never more than half of the federal money. You need to be a New York small business with 100 or fewer staff, either applying for a federal award now or holding one granted since the last round closed. The money pays for what SBIR will not, business planning, commercialisation, patents and marketing studies. Read the string attached before you take it. You have to stay headquartered and operating or manufacturing in New York for two years after the product sells, or return every dollar. One application per business per round.
ACHIEVE Competition (Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion)
Empire State Development
Up to $50 million per region, or $75 million for a joint bid
No published deadline, councils file with their annual reportsA $150 million competition for New York's Regional Economic Development Councils. Councils bid for regional projects, and the strongest proposals take up to $50 million each. Two or more councils can join forces for up to $75 million. The four 2025 winners cannot enter the 2026 round. A business cannot apply.
Apply / Learn MoreRegional Council Capital Fund (CFA)
Empire State Development
$60M total pool
Scored 2026 round closed July 31, off cycle requests still possibleCapital grant funding for economic development projects intended to create or retain jobs and increase business activity. Accessed through the Consolidated Funding Application, which includes 20+ programs from eight state agencies.
Apply / Learn MoreFAST NY Shovel-Ready Grant Program
Empire State Development
Up to $400M total, pre-development grants up to $500,000 per site
RollingA town has to apply for this, not you. FAST NY pays for the work that gets a site ready before anyone builds on it, and Empire State Development takes applications from local governments and the bodies they name rather than from companies. Over $326 million has gone to 39 sites so far. A company benefits when the site it wants is prepared, so the useful move is a conversation with the local economic development office, not a form. Tracks B and C take letters of intent and applications all year.
Apply / Learn MoreMWBE Business Growth Accelerator Program (BGA 3.0)
Empire State Development (DMWBD)
No funding, an 18 month training and matchmaking programme
RollingIntensive technical assistance and business development training for certified MWBEs. BGA 3.0 serves 200 MWBEs statewide with training in procurement, financial management, mentorship, and networking to help secure public and private contracts.
Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI)
NYS Department of State / Empire State Development
$100 million across 10 communities, $10 million each
Round 9 awarded, no Round 10 dates publishedNew York's downtown revitalization programme, $10 million to one community per region each round. A business cannot apply. Communities apply to their regional council, the council nominates one, and the state picks. Round 9 has been awarded and no Round 10 dates are published.
View program pageRestore New York Communities Initiative
Empire State Development
$1M - $5M per project (varies by municipality size)
Deadline Dec 20, 2024Grants for municipalities to demolish, rehabilitate, and restore blighted structures into vibrant residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Recent rounds have ranged from $50 million to $60 million in total funding.
View program pageNeighborhood Business Grant (CitizensNYC)
CitizensNYC (Citizens Committee for New York City)
Up to $5,000
Deadline Jul 27, 2026Shut today, and worth a diary note. CitizensNYC gives up to $5,000 to a small business for something it does to improve its own neighbourhood, and it funds ordinary trades, barbershops, bookshops, cafes, studios and childcare, rather than startups. You need to be in the five boroughs, trading at least two years, profit making, with ten or fewer staff and proof such as bank, tax or card terminal statements. There are two cycles a year, one in spring and one in autumn, and the last autumn cycle opened on 3 November. The second 2026 cycle closed on 27 July with decisions due this month, and no new opening date is posted.
Federal Grant Programs
These federal programs are available to small businesses in every state.
SBA 7(a) Loan Program
The SBA's primary lending program guarantees loans through participating lenders. This is a loan, not a grant. But the terms favor small businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing.
Learn moreSBA Microloan Program
Loans up to $50,000, not grants. You borrow from a nonprofit lender near you, not from the SBA itself. The money can cover working capital, inventory, supplies or equipment. Most people get far less than the cap. The average microloan is about $13,000.
Learn moreSBIR/STTR Grants
Competitive federal grants for small businesses doing research and development with commercial potential. Eleven federal agencies take part. Phase I funds proof of concept. Phase II funds full development.
Learn moreMinority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Programs
Help for minority owned businesses that need capital, contracts or new markets. MBDA runs business centers around the country. They give advice, help with bids, and point you toward lenders.
Learn moreGet Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most New York grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most New York grant programs require applicants to be a registered LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. If you haven't formed yet, that's the first step.
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, and more.
Get your EIN
An Employer Identification Number is free from the IRS and required on nearly every grant application. You can apply online and receive it immediately.
Open a business bank account
Grant funds need to go into a dedicated business account, not your personal checking. Most agencies will ask for your banking details on the application.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Grants by Business Type
Targeted programs for specific business owners in New York.
Women-owned Business Grants
New York backs women-owned firms well. The MWBE program is the door. Certified firms win state contracts, join the Business Growth Accelerator, and reach lending run by Empire State Development.
- ›MWBE Business Growth Accelerator Program
- ›Division of Minority and Women's Business Development
Minority-owned Business Grants
New York leads the nation here. MWBE use hit 31.86 percent in fiscal year 2024-25. That was its fifth straight year past the 30 percent goal. Certified firms reach dedicated lending, the BGA accelerator, the MWBE Regional Opportunities Expo, and first look at state contracts.
- ›MWBE Business Growth Accelerator Program
- ›MWBE Certification Program
- ›Division of Minority and Women's Business Development
Veteran-owned Business Grants
Veterans get their own track. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned firms can earn state certification through Empire State Development. That opens SDVOB goals on state-funded work and a path to contracts.
- ›Division of Service-Disabled Veterans' Business Development
- ›Empire State Development
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Tech startups have two clear options. The NYSTAR match tops up a federal SBIR or STTR award, but only in a one week window each October and April, next from October 14 to 20, 2026. Take the money and you agree to stay in New York for two years after the product sells, or hand it all back. NY Ventures, part of Empire State Development, puts capital into early-stage tech.
- ›NYSTAR Innovation Matching Grants Program
- ›NY Ventures
- ›SBIR/STTR
Rural Business Grants
Rural New York is not left out. FAST NY preps shovel-ready sites, though a town has to apply, not you. The NY Forward program gives $4.5 million to smaller downtowns. USDA Rural Business Development Grants add one more route, again only for towns, tribes and non profits.
- ›FAST NY
- ›NY Forward Program
Tips for Applying in New York
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Start at the CFA portal. Use apps.cio.ny.gov for most state-funded programs. The main CFA deadline lands in late July. Open enrollment programs take applications all year.
- 2Set up your accounts first. Register with the New York State Department of State. Get your NY.gov Business Account before you apply.
- 3Get certified if you qualify. Minority, women, and veteran-owned firms should seek NYS MWBE or SDVOB status first. It opens dedicated programs, contracting goals, and the Business Growth Accelerator.
- 4Show up to REDC workshops. Your Regional Economic Development Council runs sessions on the CFA. They help match your project to regional priorities, and that shapes your score.
- 5Give it time. The Global NY Fund can take 90 days. Have your financials, business plan, and proof of New York operations ready before you file.
State Economic Development Agency
Empire State Development
Empire State Development is the state's lead agency. It helps firms grow and hire. It works through grants, loans, tax credits, and direct help across New York.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in New York can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, though fewer than the page suggests at a glance. The Global NY Fund pays back up to $25,000 of export costs and a single business files for it. The NYSTAR match tops up a federal SBIR or STTR award you already hold. CitizensNYC gives New York City firms up to $5,000. Most of the rest of this page pays a city, a town or a regional council.
Global NY. It takes applications all year and turns them round in about 90 days. The NYSTAR match is shut until its next window, which opens at 9am on October 14, 2026 and closes at 5pm on October 20. CitizensNYC closed its second cycle on 27 July and has not posted the next opening. The scored CFA round closed on 31 July.
This is where most firms fall out. You need to be in New York, have 500 or fewer staff here, and have traded for at least a year. Then the hard part. At least 51 percent of the value of the finished product or service has to start in New York, counting materials, parts, the work itself, marketing and design. A Made in NY style local producer badge works instead.
No, you do not. Most New York programmes are open to any eligible business. Getting certified still pays off. It opens the MWBE Business Growth Accelerator, dedicated lending and state contracting goals. New York leads the country on MWBE contracting, so the edge is real. Be clear that the Accelerator itself pays no money. It is 18 months of training and matchmaking.
It depends on the programme. Global NY runs about 90 days, and you cannot meet any cost before the award letter arrives. CFA programmes name winners in the autumn, after the July deadline. Getting MWBE status takes roughly 90 days by itself. Site based programmes like FAST NY can run several months.
Because most of the state's grant money is not aimed at businesses. ACHIEVE is a contest between Regional Economic Development Councils. The Downtown Revitalization Initiative and Restore New York pay town halls. FAST NY funds towns and the bodies they name. We list them because searchers look for them by name, and we say plainly who can apply so nobody wastes a week on the wrong form.
Usually yes. The IRS says a government grant to a business generally is not excluded from gross income, so it is taxable. Global NY and the NYSTAR match both pay you back for money you have already spent, and that spending is usually deductible, so the two often cancel out. That is not a rule, so ask your accountant. Borrowed money is different, a loan is not income when you take it.
About the Author
Senior Finance & Banking Editor
Richard is the veteran anchor of the site's financial content. Raised in the Midwest and starting his career in Chicago's commercial banking sector, he spent over a decade underwriting small business loans before moving into financial journalism. He doesn't get swept up in startup hype; he cares about unit economics, APYs, and fee structures.
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Grant programs change frequently. Deadlines, eligibility requirements, and funding amounts listed here may be outdated. Always verify information directly with the granting agency before applying. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.
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