NJ and NY small business grants open now
13 grants and incentives are open to New Jersey and New York businesses right now. Each one was checked on its official site.
Checked November 8, 2026. See the sources
New Jersey
9 open. Closing soonest first. The ones with no posted deadline come last.
Apprenticeship grant (GAINS), round 1
Who can apply: NJ employers starting or growing a federally registered apprenticeship. The apprentices must live in NJ.
How much: Up to 50% of each new apprentice’s wages for up to 52 weeks, plus training costs. The cap is $12,000 per apprentice. Apprentices must start at $18 an hour or more. The round has $6 million in all.
Deadline: Letter of intent by noon on . Application by noon on .
NJ Innovation Fellows, cohort 3
Who can apply: Teams of at least 3 full-time founders, at least half of them first-time founders, building a company in a NJ target industry in an eligible town.
How much: $200,000, or up to $400,000 with bonuses, paid over 8 quarters. It costs $250 to apply.
Deadline: 5 pm on .
NJBUILD construction training for women and minority veterans
Who can apply: Any employer based in NJ or with a NJ presence, plus unions and trade groups, that trains women veterans and minority veterans for construction jobs and apprenticeships.
How much: Up to $15,000 per person trained. The round has $1.5 million in all.
Deadline: Letter of intent by noon on . Application by noon on .
Main Street Acquisition Support Grant
Who can apply: Small businesses and nonprofits that closed on a NJ commercial building after October 1, 2024 and use at least 1,000 square feet of it.
How much: Up to $50,000, one per business (one per EIN). A $500 fee is due at approval.
Deadline: Apply within 1 year of your closing date.
Lakewood UEZ grants for technology, new hires and bank fees
Who can apply: Registered Lakewood UEZ businesses with under 10 employees, under $1,000,000 in yearly sales, and at least 1 full-time worker who lives in Lakewood.
How much: Up to $5,000 for hardware, software and tech training (cell phones do not count). Up to $1,500 for each new hire who stays 12 months, up to $4,500 every 3 years. Up to $5,000 toward the bank fees on a business loan, once every 5 years.
Deadline: None posted. Funds are paid first come, first served.
NJ STEP export grant, 2026 to 2027
Who can apply: NJ small businesses at least 1 year old and tax compliant, whose goods or services are at least 51% US content, that are starting or growing exports.
How much: It pays back part of your export costs. No set amount per business is posted. The state got $847,000 from the SBA for this round, which began July 1, 2026.
Deadline: None posted. Awards are first come, first served.
Clean Tech R&D Voucher Program, round 3
Who can apply: Early-stage NJ clean tech companies with 1 to 50 workers and $5 million or less in sales last year. At least half of the work hours must be in NJ.
How much: Vouchers of up to $40,000 in any 12 months, to use university and lab equipment for testing and development.
Deadline: None posted.
PSE&G Direct Install for small businesses
Who can apply: PSE&G business customers with average yearly peak demand under 300 kW, or under 40,000 therms of gas a year.
How much: PSE&G pays the up-front cost. The part its incentives do not cover can be paid back on your bill with no interest. No percentage is posted.
Deadline: None posted. PSE&G says the program can change or end without notice.
JCP&L small business Direct Install
Who can apply: JCP&L small business customers. It covers lighting, heating and cooling, refrigeration, motors and water heating.
How much: Up to 70% or 80% of the project cost. The rest can go on 0% financing on your bill, from $2,500 to $250,000 for up to 5 years.
Deadline: None posted.
New York
3 open. One is from Con Edison and pays for energy upgrades.
NYC Customized Training Grant
Who can apply: For-profit NYC businesses operating for more than 1 year that are training at least 5 employees. Businesses with fewer than 5 employees can apply together as a group.
How much: $10,000 to $400,000, covering up to 60% of training costs.
Deadline: The next pre-application date is . After that, and .
Global NY Fund export grant
Who can apply: NY companies with 500 or fewer NY employees, at least 1 year old, that are starting or growing exports.
How much: Up to $25,000, paying back up to 50% of project costs.
Deadline: None. Applications are taken all year.
Con Edison small business and nonprofit energy efficiency program
Who can apply: Small businesses and nonprofits that are Con Edison customers. An approved contractor does the work, and the incentive comes off the invoice.
How much: Up to 70% of energy efficiency upgrades and up to 50% of heat pumps.
Deadline: None posted. Con Edison says incentives depend on available funding.
Anywhere in the US
1 open to small businesses anywhere in the country.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant
Who can apply: Owners of for-profit US small businesses, 18 or older, who finish 2 free courses or events on the Digital Ready site.
How much: $10,000. Verizon picks 10 businesses each month through December 2026.
Deadline: Finish the courses by . Every applicant gets a final answer by .
New grants are reported as they open on MYB grant news and on MYB News on WhatsApp.
Opening soon
Upskill worker training grant, round 2
It pays back up to 50% of what you spend training your workers, up to $250,000 per round.
Dates: letter of intent due by noon on . Application due by noon on .
Not grants, but low-cost money
These have to be paid back, or they lower a bill. Ask for the full terms before you sign.
- Lakewood UEZ microloan: up to $50,000 at 3.5% over 10 years, secured by real estate.
- Lakewood UEZ expansion loans: up to $20,000 (level 1) or up to $50,000 (level 2), both at 2.5% over 5 years. Up to half of what is left can be forgiven if you hire Lakewood residents and keep them 12 months.
- Lakewood UEZ tax breaks: a lower sales tax rate of 3.3125%, no sales tax on up to $100,000 of construction purchases and up to $100,000 of office supplies, furniture and equipment, and a 5-year phase-in of property tax on new construction.
- JCP&L: 0% financing on your bill, from $2,500 to $250,000 for up to 5 years, for the part of a Direct Install project it does not cover.
- PSE&G: the part of a Direct Install project its incentives do not cover can be paid back on your bill with no interest.
Questions and answers
How many small business grants are open in NJ and NY right now?
13, as of November 8, 2026. 9 are in New Jersey, 3 are in New York and 1 is open to small businesses anywhere in the US.
What is the Lakewood UEZ?
It is Lakewood’s urban enterprise zone office, run by the Lakewood Development Corporation. It gives small grants, low-rate loans and tax breaks to registered Lakewood businesses.
Who qualifies for a Lakewood UEZ grant?
A registered Lakewood UEZ business with under 10 employees, under $1,000,000 in yearly sales, and at least 1 full-time worker who lives in Lakewood. You have to register with the UEZ before you apply.
How much can a Lakewood business get from the UEZ?
Up to $5,000 for technology, up to $1,500 for each new hire who stays 12 months (up to $4,500 every 3 years), and up to $5,000 toward the bank fees on a business loan. No deadline is posted, and funds are paid first come, first served.
How do I apply for a Lakewood UEZ grant?
Register with the UEZ first, then apply on the UEZ portal. To check that funds are left, call the office at 732-364-2500 ext 5260, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Are there grants for businesses in Brooklyn or Monsey?
Yes, mostly for energy upgrades, job training and exporting. Con Edison covers up to 70% of energy upgrades for its small business customers, NYC businesses can apply for the Customized Training Grant, and New York companies anywhere in the state, including in Monsey, can apply for the Global NY Fund export grant.
Can I get a government grant to start a business?
Rarely. The SBA says it does not give grants to start or expand a business. Most real grants pay for one set purpose, like training, exporting, energy upgrades or research.
Is the Verizon $10,000 small business grant real?
Yes. Verizon’s Digital Ready program picks 10 small businesses a month for $10,000 through December 2026. To qualify, finish 2 free courses or events on its site by December 7, 2026.
Are small business grants taxable?
Usually, yes. The IRS says state and local grants are ordinarily taxable, and a federal grant is ordinarily taxable unless the law behind it says otherwise. Ask your accountant how to report yours.
Do I need an EIN or an LLC to get a grant?
You often need an EIN, the federal tax number for a business. It is free from the IRS and takes minutes online. Whether you need an LLC depends on the program, so check its rules.
How do I avoid grant scams?
Apply only on the program’s own site, and never pay someone who calls, texts or messages you about a grant. The FTC says no government agency will ever contact you to demand that you pay to get a grant. A few real programs charge a set fee posted on their own page, like the $250 fee to apply for NJ Innovation Fellows.
What should I have ready before I apply?
Your EIN, your business registration and your last tax returns, plus a short plan for what the money will pay for. Most real grants pay for a set purpose, so the application will ask how you will use the money.
How do I find small business grants?
Start with your state, your town and your power company, where most of the grants on this page come from. For federal grants, the FTC says grants.gov is the only full list, and it is free.
How often is this list checked?
This list was last checked on November 8, 2026, on each program’s official site. Grants can close or run out of money without notice, so check the official page before you apply.
Sources
24 official pages, checked November 8, 2026
- Lakewood UEZ loan and incentive programs
- Lakewood UEZ registration
- Township of Lakewood, UEZ office
- Lakewood UEZ tax breaks and exemptions (PDF)
- NJ Department of Labor, apprenticeship grant (GAINS) announcement
- NJ Department of Labor, GAINS round 1 notice (PDF)
- NJ Department of Labor, NJBUILD notice (PDF)
- NJ Department of Labor, Upskill round 2 notice (PDF)
- NJEDA, NJ Innovation Fellows
- NJEDA, Main Street Acquisition Support Grant
- NJEDA, Clean Tech R&D Voucher Program, round 3
- NJ Business Action Center, NJ STEP
- NJ Department of State, NJ STEP funding announcement (July 10, 2026)
- PSE&G, Direct Install
- FirstEnergy, JCP&L programs for business
- NYC Small Business Services, Customized Training Grant
- Empire State Development, Global NY Fund
- Con Edison, savings for small and medium businesses
- Verizon, Small Business Digital Ready funding
- SBA, grants
- FTC, government grant scams
- IRS, get an employer identification number
- IRS, Form 1099-G instructions (taxable grants)
- Grants.gov
General information, not tax or legal advice.