Starting a small business with little or no capital sometimes seems impossible, especially in New Jersey. Although it is very possible for optimistic minds, regardless NJ small business grants are often designed to support its citizens with little capital to start and grow their ventures. In the meantime, if you’ve got any business ideas or plans, with no capital, New Jersey small business grants are your best bet to get your business up and running. In that light, this article is a quick guide if you are in search of NJ small business grants for Minorities, Newark small business Grants, and its Phase 2. It also covers a small business Grant application guide for New Jerseyans.
What Is NJ Small Business Grants?
Before we proceed let’s go through what a small business grant entails;
A small-business grant is seed money offered by government agencies or non-profit organizations for a business startup. Basically, beneficiaries don’t have to pay back because it’s not a loan where interest is to be paid upon an agreed period. Anyways, there are usually strict reporting criteria to make sure the grant recipients meet the goals of the grant initiative.
Therefore, take up the opportunity of getting a small business grant and step up. Sometimes you may not be qualified for small business grants. Hence, do not be ignorant about the criteria of a business grant. Howbeit, it is pertinent to understand your business and the kind of grants to seek.
Actually, a grant sometimes comes with rules about how you spend the fund. For instance, if you apply for a grant for agricultural purposes, it means that you can only spend the money on what the grant covers else you may be guilty of fraud.
So, in order to receive a grant, you’ll have to search for and apply for grants that fit your business. There are government sites you can freely apply for grants such as; Grant.gov.
Federal government sites should be the first place any grant seeker should go to while seeking any funding opportunity.
NJ SMALL BUSINESS GRANT FOR MINORITIES
NJ Small business grants for minorities are a wide range of grants that intend to help minority small business owners grow. Minority-owned businesses are in different categories, with several grants available for them.
However, there are specific minorities that are most qualified to apply for small business grants. They include; Innovators, Green Businesses, Rural Businesses, Women veterans, and minority-owned businesses. Furthermore, there are also numerous business grants for entrepreneurs with disabilities and businesses owned by Indigenous people.
Basically, minority business owners face challenges when starting or expanding a small business, including access to affordable small-business grants. Finding the right opportunity for your business is a basic step for business grants.
For the most part, it is a daunting task to start up a small business in NEW JERSEY. This is because employees’ salaries/payroll, in a year, take up to an average of $198 billion. Therefore, it’s the reason why its citizens are supported with NJ small business grants for minorities to start and grow their ventures.
Meanwhile, loans are always an option but minority small business grants is more valuable because it requires no refunds or interests.
Where to Find Small Business Grants
Listed below are specific websites and organizations for small business grants. On the flip side, these bodies, in turn, distribute the funds or use them to provide technical and educational assistance on a local level.
#1. Grants.gov
This is a comprehensive database of grants administered by various government agencies, e.g the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
#2. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
This local body provides support for small businesses and fresh entrepreneurs. They are sometimes associated with the state’s economic development agency. Basically, they can help connect business owners with financing opportunities, as well as counseling, pieces of training, and technical assistance for small businesses.
#3. USDA Rural Business Development Grants
These grants are solely for projects that benefit rural public entities, towns, state agencies, nonprofits, higher institutions, rural cooperatives, and federally recognized tribes. Also, they offer technical assistance and training to small businesses with less than 50 workers
#4. U.S. Small Business Administration State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)
This body is set up to assist small businesses desiring to export products. It also distributes federal funds through state entities. Consequently, the funds enable them to participate in foreign trade missions and shows and grant them entry to foreign markets. It further helps them develop their websites.
#5. Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
They are designed to aid small business minorities. Minority-owned businesses can find information about local MBDA Business Centers at MBDA.gov.
Newark NJ Small Business Grants
The Newark NJ small business grant created in March 2020 was to support Newark small businesses and help them to survive the current pandemic crisis. However, it was also an avenue to retain as many employees as possible. Newark small business grants are specifically for rental and housing programs with people across Newark who are not financially buoyant with the increasingly Covid-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the Newark NJ small business grant is an initiative of Mayor Baraka. It gave the Newark city the motive to adopt the Newark cares funding plan in order to provide economic relief to small businesses in Newark.
Mostly, this plan provides about $355,000 to her residents in a bid to restore their economy and fight against the raging pandemic.
NJ SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PHASE 2
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced $50 million in new funding and broader eligibility criteria for the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program. Under the newly-expanded program, which will provide grants up to $10,000 for COVID-impacted businesses, a wider variety of businesses will now be eligible, including home-based businesses and sole proprietorships. The program also features a special focus on businesses in Opportunity Zone-eligible census tracts
Phase 2 of the NJ small business grant program makes funding opportunities available to home-based businesses including those who were ineligible during Phase 1.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must be registered to do business in New Jersey. They must be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and cannot have any outstanding tax liabilities.
In addition, the changes for eligibility in Phase 2 of the grant program include increasing the employees’ cap for businesses from 8 full-time employees to 20; removing the NAICS code restrictions that were in place for Phase 1. This is in line with plans to mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
NJ SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS APPLICATION GUIDE
There are tons of government grant programs available for economic development. These include grant programs created by non-profit and private organizations. Therefore, any business owner seeking a grant would need to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements before applying for any grant. It’s usually a cumbersome yet sensitive process trying to fill grant applications. So, here is an application guide to set you on the right part; although this application grant guide is not restricted to just NJ small businesses.
- Always seek grant opportunities that are relevant to you and your business. This will enable you to evaluate if you are qualified or not.
- Know your grant program, what the company wants and what they have been funding in the past.
- Write a grant proposal by providing some substantial information focusing on what your business intends to fulfill.
- Seek professional help especially for first-timers because you will be requested to present a cover letter.
Conclusion
Thousands of small business grants are available depending on what you want. I recommend you always seek a government grant. Government agencies are the biggest distributors of small business grants. It may seem intimidating when applying, but they are great opportunities for small-business owners. Also, you can visit your local small business associations, and pursue other means of small business financing if you urgently need money for your business.
For more questions about grants feel free to leave a comment.
NJ Small Business Grants FAQs
How do I apply to the NJEDA Small Business Emergency Assistance grant?
To be eligible to apply, all applicants must first pre-register. More details can be found at https://business.nj.gov/covid/emergency-assistance-loan-program.
How much is the NJEDA grant?
The NJEDA will award roughly $15 million in grants of up to $200,000 to licensed child care centers in New Jersey as part of Phase 1 of the program to pay the expenses of facility upgrades.
What is a personal loyalty Grant?
This is free grant money for bills or personal use, and it can be extremely beneficial in a variety of situations where extra money is required. Grant recipients do not incur debt because they do not have to be repaid and act as free government money.
