1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
The Eastern Michigan Small Business Grant Program is a grant from the Eastern Michigan Small Business Network (EM-SBN), funded through a Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Small Business Support Hub award using American Rescue Plan (ARPA) dollars.
It provides awards of up to $20,000 to eligible small for-profit businesses with 500 or fewer employees located in or whose owner resides in Shiawassee, Lapeer, Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, or St. Clair counties in Michigan. Businesses must also fall within eligible USDA rural zones or MEDC SmartZone areas.
A total of $227,394 is available in the 2026 grant round. The program aims to support small business launch and growth in these six underserved Michigan counties.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “Eastern Michigan Small Business Network / MEDC” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
2026 Small Business Grant | Eastern Michigan Sma 2026 Small Business Grant Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The Eastern Michigan Small Business Network 2026 Small Business Grant Program APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED The EM-SBN received a Small Business Support Hub grant award from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to help launch and grow small businesses in Shiawassee, Lapeer, Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, and St.
Clair counties. This program utilizes a portion of the state’s American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding. The 2026 Small Business Grant Award Program will provide awards of up to $20,000 to eligible small businesses in the six county region to support their growth and development.
No more than $227,394 in total grants will be awarded in the 2026 round. Company Eligibility Requirements A company must be a small for-profit business (500 or fewer employees) A company must be located or the company’s owner must reside in one of the following six Michigan counties: Shiawassee, Lapeer, Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, or St.
Clair A company must be located or the company’s owner must reside in an eligible area on one of these two online maps: US Department of Agriculture (USDA): To determine if your location is eligible, log on the USDA map HERE , click “Accept” to go to the map, enter your address in the “Find Your Address” box, and click Go. The map will then determine if the address is or is not in an eligible area.
Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Small Business SmartZone Eligibility: To determine if your location is eligible, log on the MEDC map located HERE . Please open the link and enter your address in the “Find Address or Place” search box; if the address is in a highlighted area, you are eligible for this program.
A company must fully the online EM-SBM Small Business Grant Application, located HERE Opens 12/16/2025 A company must engage with the EM-SBN upon announcement of the grant award.
An EM-SBN engagement is defined as: A completed online EM-SBN Client Intake Form, located HERE (to open January 5, 2026) Attend a small business training including one-on-one coaching, consultations, workshops, seminars, cohort-based learning, networking, and mentorship delivered through the EM-SBN. EM-SBN engagement can occur between grant announcement and the grant award. A company must not be on the federal debarment/suspension list.
Eligible Uses of Grant Awards All expenses must be new; expenses made prior to the grant award are ineligible.
Purchase of equipment, inventory, software, furniture, fixtures, and/or hardware, up to $4,999 per unit (in other words, the total cost of a piece of equipment, inventory, software, and/or hardware cannot exceed $4,999) Training that leads to a specific industry certification for employees including related travel expenses Ineligible Uses of Grant Awards Building-based construction costs (i.e., any activity that disturbs the ground or modifies a structure) Any costs that will be or have been reimbursed by another Michigan Strategic Fund, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, or federal program, including funding awarded through another Michigan Small Business Support Hub A program or service that includes a term or condition that undermines efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 or that imposes conditions on participation or acceptance of the service that would undermine effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 or discourage compliance with recommendations and guidelines in CDC guidance for stopping the spread of COVID-19 Timeline for Grant Program Online grant application opens Tuesday, December 16, 2025 Online grant application closes Tuesday, December 23, 2025 Grant application review Friday, January 2, 2026 through Thursday, January 8, 2026 Grant award announcement Friday, January 9, 2026 EM-SBN and awardees complete client intake form and a grant agreement outlining approved expenditures, filing deadline, and other criteria Friday, January 9, 2026 through Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Awardees make approved expenditures and submit invoices to EM-SBN for reimbursement Friday, January 23, 2026 through Thursday, February 26, 2026 Final date to submit invoices for reimbursement Thursday, February 26, 2026 EASTERN MICHIGAN SMALL BUSINESS NETWORK SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM FAQ Does the grant need to be repaid?
No. This grant program will reimburse awardees for approved eligible expenses. Once the awards are announced, awardees will complete a grant agreement that spells out what the funds can be used for based upon their application. After the grant agreement is signed, awardees will make the approved purchase, submit the invoice/receipts, and then receive the grant funds.
How will the grant scoring work? Each of the six participating counties will create their own scoring system based upon their specific priorities and needs. All applications will be forwarded to their county’s economic development organization for scoring.
Applicants will only be competing against other applications from their county. Is this grant program open to for-profit and nonprofit companies? For-profit companies are eligible for this grant program.
What is the definition of a small business? For the purpose of this grant program, we are using the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) definition of a small business, which is an independent business with 500 or fewer employees. Who do I contact if I have any additional questions?
Awardees of the grant are to contact Bruce Seymore at the EDA Office at (810) 982-9511. All other inquiries are to contact Stacy Elliott at selliott@edascc. com or call (810) 982-9511.
EASTERN MICHIGAN SMALL BUSINESS NETWORK 100 McMorran Boulevard, 4th Floor Port Huron, Michigan 48060 2026 Small Business Grant © 2025 Eastern Michigan Small Business Network
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: For‑profit small businesses in specified Michigan counties ([easternmichigansmallbusinessnetwork. com](https://www. easternmichigansmallbusinessnetwork. com/2026grant? utm_source=openai)). Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $20,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.