Non-Traditional Apprenticeship Incentive Program

Non-Traditional Apprenticeship Incentive Program is sponsored by Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. Provides employers with an incentive payment for each non-trade apprentice registered after the completion of their program.

Best Business Grants in Rhode Island | FundingTrail The Best Business Grants in Rhode Island Securing capital is often the biggest hurdle for any founder. While loans and credit cards are common, they come with the weight of repayment and interest. Grants are the ideal alternative because they generally don't have to be paid back.

However, there is a catch: grants are highly competitive and can be very difficult to find. We've built this guide to help you understand the grant landscape in Rhode Island. Rhode Island punches well above its weight when it comes to business grants.

Despite being the country's smallest state, Rhode Island runs a remarkably deep grant program with two clear priority areas: workforce development and life sciences.

The state has built a comprehensive set of apprenticeship, internship, and work-immersion programs that reimburse employers for hiring and training new workers, while a parallel set of life sciences grants offer some of the largest awards in any state's portfolio, including a $3 million business attraction grant for life sciences companies relocating to Rhode Island.

Award sizes range from $3,000 grants for early-stage businesses up to $3 million for major life sciences relocations, with most programs offering rolling deadlines. The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation administers the majority of state grants, including the workforce development programs, the Innovate RI Fund, and various innovation vouchers and incentives.

Life sciences programs are run separately through the RI Life Science Hub, and the RI Department of Environmental Management administers agriculture and energy grants. Notably, Rhode Island operates entirely through state-level programs in this dataset, with no city-administered grants identified, reflecting both the state's small geographic footprint and its centralized approach to economic development.

Rhode Island businesses are also eligible for hundreds of national grant programs from federal agencies, corporations, and foundations. Those programs aren't covered on this page, but you can search our complete grant database to see every state and national grant your business qualifies for. You can also join our free weekly newsletter to get new Rhode Island grants delivered to your inbox as soon as they open.

RI Agricultural Energy Program RI Department of Environmental Management As part of its continued efforts to grow Rhode Island's green economy, DEM has partnered with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources to administer the RI Agricultural Energy Grant Program that provides grant awards of up to $20,000 for eligible energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at RI Farms.

This funding helps local farmers "green" their operations and benefit from the related energy and cost savings through energy efficiency projects and by transitioning to renewable power. The Rhode Island Growth Catalyst Program is a targeted investment initiative designed to support the expansion of life sciences companies by supporting technology development and accelerating commercialization activities.

By providing essential growth capital, this program acknowledges the vital role both innovators and manufacturers play in building a robust life sciences industry. Through strategic funding, the program helps businesses scale operations, drive technological advancements, and strengthen the state’s position as a leader in life sciences innovation and manufacturing.

RI Innovation Voucher Program Rhode Island Commerce Corporation The Innovation Voucher program is part of Rhode Island Commerce’s Innovation Initiatives Portfolio created to support Rhode Island’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Innovation Voucher funds strategic investments in local businesses that catalyze growth through research and development (R&D) innovation.

There are two types of vouchers in this program, both for $5,000 to $75,000. Knowledge Provider Voucher: The Knowledge Provider Voucher helps small businesses tap the expertise and resources of local research institutions such as colleges, universities and hospitals (“knowledge providers”) to advance innovation and business growth.

With a Knowledge Provider Voucher, the R&D needed by a small business is executed by the knowledge provider. Rhode Island manufacturers can access funding for internal research and development through the Manufacturing Voucher. This voucher supports specific R&D projects that Rhode Island manufacturers need to advance or reinvent their product offerings and remain competitive within their industry.

Rhode Island Commerce Corporation Experiential learning opportunities, including internships, are a key method for students to explore career possibilities, gain hands-on experience and meet people in industry in their field of study. For the company, it is a critical workforce development tool.

The Innovate Rhode Island Small Business Fund (IRISBF) Internship Grant Program provides grants of up to $6,500 to assist companies in the life sciences and engineering sectors defray the costs of providing student internships and mentoring to eligible Rhode Island residents attending a college or university in Rhode Island.

RI Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grant Program RI Department of Environmental Management The Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grant Program supports a variety of activities associated with promoting the growth and sustainability of local food and seafood industries in Rhode Island. Maximum grant awards are $20,000 for qualifying farms, businesses, and individuals.

Funding priorities include, but are not limited to, new or existing agricultural or fishery businesses, new product development, safety improvements, or the development of new marketing, promotion, sales, and distribution channels. RI New Business Attraction Grant The Rhode Island Business Attraction Program serves as a strategic recruitment initiative aimed at life sciences companies exploring their first presence in Rhode Island.

This highly competitive program is designed to attract out-of-state, international, and newly established companies that align with the Rhode Island Life Science Hub’s (RILSH) mission of fostering economic growth through the strategic expansion of this sector.

By offering targeted support and resources, the program seeks to integrate high-potential companies into the state’s thriving life sciences ecosystem, fostering innovation, collaboration, and economic development. Through this initiative, Rhode Island strengthens its position as a premier hub for cutting-edge research, biotech advancements, and commercialization opportunities.

Rhode Island Commerce Corporation Work Immersion is an internship support program available to Rhode Island employers. It is designed to boost the employment prospects of new and returning workers (i.e., eligible students and unemployed or underemployed adults) through meaningful paid work experiences. It provides a 50% or 75% reimbursement for wages paid to eligible participants.

All Rhode Island employers who meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the program guide may apply. The Rhode Island Lift Program is a strategic investment initiative designed to fuel the growth and successful capital raise of high-impact life sciences companies in Rhode Island. This competitive program provides a non-dilutive funding boost to companies that have finalized or recently closed a funding round.

By offering this last infusion of capital, the program helps high-potential life sciences ventures scale their operations, drive innovation, and strengthen their impact on the state’s economy, industry growth, and patient outcomes. Through this support, Rhode Island continues to position itself as a leader in life sciences advancement and commercialization.

Rhode Island Commerce Corporation In 2013, to foster job creation, facilitate small business development and enhance the workforce pipeline, the Rhode Island General Assembly created the Innovate Rhode Island Small Business Fund (IRISBF). Eligible Rhode Island small businesses may apply for grants to defray the cost of applying for SBIR/STTR awards, match SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II awards, and hire interns.

Provides grants of up to $3,000 to assist small businesses offset the costs associated with preparing a competitive Phase I SBIR/STTR application. Provides grants of up to $75,000 to encourage recipients of SBIR/STTR Phase I awards and up to $150,000 to recipients of Phase II awards.

Food Export USA–Northeast (Food Export–Northeast) is a nonprofit organization created in 1973 as a cooperative effort between 10 Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Export’s goal is to provide a wide range of services to facilitate trade between Northeastern food suppliers and importers around the world.

With the Branded Program, you may double your budget with 50% cost reimbursement on: -International website development -Foreign market-compliant packaging and labels -Advertising and public relations -In-store promotions and product demonstrations -Fees for exhibiting at select overseas and domestic trade shows -Marketing and point-of-sale materials -Freight costs for product samples RI Invention Incentive Program Rhode Island Commerce Corporation The Invention Incentive Program is part of Rhode Island Commerce’s Innovation Initiatives Portfolio created to support local small businesses and innovators in Rhode Island, offering reimbursable grants up to $5,000 for eligible expenses incurred when filing patents.

RI Non-Trade Apprenticeship Expansion Grants Rhode Island Commerce Corporation The Non-Trade Apprenticeship Expansion Grant Program was created to support the expansion of Non-Trade/Non-Traditional Registered Apprenticeship Programs. The program helps organizations pay for the design and development of new and innovative apprenticeship tracks by providing reimbursement for eligible planning activities and costs up to $25,000.

RI Non-Traditional Apprenticeship Incentive Rhode Island Commerce Corporation The Non-Traditional Apprenticeship Incentive Program provides employers with an incentive payment of $1,000 per non-trade apprentice hired and registered after the completion of the required probationary period. Employers are eligible for up to $5,000 in monetary incentives per calendar year and may collect no more than $1,000 for each unique apprentice.

NOTE: Non-traditional apprenticeships are apprenticeships that are registered with the Department of Labor and Training that are outside of the construction trades. The required probationary period is a standard that established as part of the apprenticeship approval process and will vary based on the apprenticeship model.

RI Workplace Accessibility Grants Rhode Island Commerce Corporation The Workplace Accessibility Grant Program promotes employment and economic opportunity for individuals with disabilities through investment in accessible workplaces. It provides a 100% reimbursement for eligible costs up to $5,000 per calendar year.

All Rhode Island employers with fewer than twenty-five (25) employees and who meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the program guide may apply. Don't stop at state-level funding Most business grants aren't geographic, they're tied to your industry, your stage, or your team. Our database tracks 500+ programs across every category, and our free newsletter delivers new grants to your inbox each week.

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