NJ Small Business Grant PROGRAM - Testimonial

The Small Business Improvement Grant provides compensation for expenses incurred while completing building upgrades, purchasing new furniture, fixtures and equipment obtained from March 9th, 2020. 

Eligibility: Small businesses and nonprofits in the process of making improvements to their business with a minimum expense of $5,000

Benefits: Grants are equal to 50% of eligible total project costs up to $50,000 . 

The NJEDA Small Business E-commerce Support Program provides free consulting and

digital marketing consulting services to New Jersey small businesses in the restaurant,

retail and personal care industries to assist with website development and website

optimization, e-commerce platform, online ordering platform, online appointment

booking platform and digital marketing plan.

Eligibility

• Business must be in one of the following industries: Restaurant, Retail Store or Personal Care business (e.g., barbershop, hair salon, nail
• salon, etc.)
• Situated in a commercial location with a physical store front in NJ
• Currently registered to do business in NJ
• Small business as defined by the US Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Able to provide a current NJ Business Assistance or Incentive Clearance Certificate

Benefit:  Businesses are awarded the following: Restaurants to $11,400, Retail Stores up to $10,800 and Personal Care Businesses up to $11,400. The money is to be used for any of the following expenses: 

• Website Design, Development & Implementation
• Online Ordering/Appointment Booking Platform Implementation
• E-commerce Platform Design, Development & Implementation
• Online Marketing Plan Development

The Work Opportunity tax credit program is a Federal tax credit for companies that hire and retain veterans and individuals from other target groups who have considerable barriers to employment such as qualified TANF recipients, qualified veterans, qualified ex-felons, designated community residents, vocational rehabilitation referrals, recipient of SNAP benefits (food stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, long-term family assistance recipients, and qualified long-term unemployment recipients. 

Eligibility:  The business must be registered in New Jersey

Benefits:   The tax credit ranges from $2,400 to up to $9,600 per employee hired. 

For the purpose of enhancing the abilities of current employees, Upskill provides grants to New Jersey businesses of any size. Employers may offer training at their place of business or through a qualified training provider. These should be group-based trainings rather than being specific to a single individual.

Eligibility:  Businesses with existing employees who can be trained in a new skill for current and future workforce demands.

Benefits:   Employers can receive grants of up to $100,000.  

The Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education (PACE) program is directed to better position secondary, post-secondary, adult education, and occupational training to meet labor demands specific to New Jersey and expand career routes leading to economically sustainable income.

Programs funded through PACE provide education and training leading to one of the following conclusions:

1. Admission into a USDOL Registered Apprenticeship program
2. Admission into a post-secondary college, or occupation-specific career training
3. Employment with a starting wage no lower than $15 per hour

Eligibility

• Entities that are developing new, or building upon existing Registered Apprenticeship programs
• Any employer, trade association, labor organization, or others with programs supporting the industries in which they work

Benefits:   The program offers builders and raters varying incentives from $500 to $6,000+ per home. 

The Catalyst Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program  is designed to offer NJ based startups financial support to help them develop and bring to market innovative technologies from the early stages of research into commercially applicable and functional  technologies. 

Eligibility 

• Must be registered to conduct business in New Jersey at the time of application
• Cannot have more than 25 full-time employees (35hrs per week) at the time of application and throughout the voucher duration
• 100% of the project work has to be conducted in NJ
• Minimum of one full-time employee working in NJ at the time of application and throughout the voucher duration
• 50% or more of the work is conducted in NJ
• Applicant must obtain a signed approval letter from a participating university/college, Federal lab, or non-profit organization confirming that the facility is capable and willing to provide the services that will be supported by the voucher (current list of participating facilities). 

Benefits: Eligible applicants can apply for funding up to $8,000 per participant for:

1. Costs associated with personnel expenses, instructor costs, non-personnel costs, pre-apprentice training, supplies and materials, and other direct costs as outlined in the program details
2. Stipends for participants of the program based on participants reaching program milestones

New Jersey is offering a transferable credit to companies that produce content in the state. This credit can be applied against both the corporate business tax and the gross income tax, providing a significant incentive for businesses to choose New Jersey as their media production location. 

Eligibility:   Companies must produce content in New Jersey

Benefits  

• A tax credit equal to 20% of qualified digital media production expenses, or
• 25% of qualified digital media production expenses for services performed and tangible personal property purchased through vendors located in specific New Jersey counties

The Catalyst Research and Development (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program  is designed to offer NJ based startups financial support to help them develop and bring to market innovative technologies from the early stages of research into commercially applicable and functional  technologies. 

Eligibility 

• Must be registered to conduct business in New Jersey at the time of application
• Cannot have more than 25 full-time employees (35hrs per week) at the time of application and throughout the voucher duration
• 100% of the project work has to be conducted in NJ
• Minimum of one full-time employee working in NJ at the time of application and throughout the voucher duration
• 50% or more of the work is conducted in NJ
• Applicant must obtain a signed approval letter from a participating university/college, Federal lab, or non-profit organization confirming that the facility is capable and willing to provide the services that will be supported by the voucher (current list of participating facilities). 

Benefits: Eligible applicants can apply for funding up to $8,000 per participant for:

1. Costs associated with personnel expenses, instructor costs, non-personnel costs, pre-apprentice training, supplies and materials, and other direct costs as outlined in the program details
2. Stipends for participants of the program based on participants reaching program milestones

This grant offers support to NJ businesses who recently began selling their goods or services to other countries.

Eligibility

• Small business as defined by the Small Business Administration
• In business for at least one year as of the date of the application
• Manufacturing goods or producing services that contain at least 51% U.S. content
• Registered with NJ START and have a DUNS number 

Benefits  

• $15,000-$25,000 per company per grant cycle
• Website and e-commerce fees to attract international buyers, along with designs for international marketing media
• Participation in international trade missions, international and U.S. trade events, and Department of Commerce organized trade missions
• Fees for services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS)

The Return and Earn program is a grant for those employers who hire unemployed workers, provide training for them, and equip them with a new skill necessary for the job.  

Eligibility : Employers with 100 or fewer employees registered with the State of NJ and who will provide substantive on-the-job training at their location or utilize approved virtual training that results in skill badges or industry-recognized credentials

Benefits 

• Employers can receive up to 50% wage subsidy for up to 6 months (with cap of $10,000 per employee and total cap of $40,000 across all employees)
• Employees will receive $500 incentive for re-entering the workforce and receiving training from businesses with 100 or fewer employees

The Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Manufacturers Energy Sales Tax Exemption offers manufacturers in UEZs a sales and use tax exemption for electricity and natural gas. . 

Eligibility 

• UEZ-certified manufacturers with at least 250 full-time employees
• At least 50% of employees must be involved in the manufacturing process
• The energy and utility services must be consumed exclusively at the facility

Benefits:   Businesses receive a sales tax exemption for the purchase of electricity and natural gas for use at the facility.