Small Business Kickstart Program

Small Business Kickstart Program is sponsored by Norfolk Festevents. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Festevents :: Small Business Kickstart Small Business Kickstart Program Marketing, Outreach, and Grants The Small Business Kickstart Program has been created to provide small businesses, located in Norfolk, with a unique opportunity for growth through provided startup assistance, exposure through marketing, and is designed to serve as a launch pad for new small businesses to go from startup to take off through the event industry and large-scale festivals.

Norfolk Festevents’ Small Business Kickstart Program is primarily directed towards local restaurants, food trucks, and retail vendors. The Small Business Grants are awarded annually to local small businesses and provide the opportunity to exhibit and sell their products at major events and festivals, provide guidance in acquiring necessary business licenses, insurances, and other pertinent business documents.

No Guarantees for Applicants Completion of an application does not guarantee that an applicant will qualify to participate in the Kickstart program and/or that an applicant will be approved for an award in a certain amount. Eligibility does not automatically result in approval for a grant and not all eligible applicants may receive awards. The advisory committee may request additional financial information to support your application.

If any information an applicant provides is untrue, inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, we have the right to terminate your application, and may withhold any awarded funds. In addition, in such an event, the applicant agrees to return any previously awarded funds. Collected information will only be shared internally and as it directly relates to the goals of administering the grant program.

To facilitate the grant program, the applicant allows Norfolk Festevents to disclose, exchange and otherwise provide to the program’s advisory committee all information collected for the purpose of administering, evaluating your ability to qualify for, assessing your application for, and/or otherwise carrying out any aspect of the Kickstart program.

After the application window has closed, the advisory committee will review properly submitted eligible applications and recommend grant awards for qualifying eligible organizations. Decisions to make awards and the number of awards will be made by the advisory committee members in their sole discretion based on their assessment of impact and need. All decisions regarding applications, eligibility, and awards are final.

To the fullest extent allowable under applicable law, all taxes, as well as any expenses arising from acceptance or use of the grant award, are your sole responsibility. Prior to receiving any grant award, you must provide a properly completed Commonwealth of Virginia W-9 Form, as applicable. Thank you for completing the application for the Norfolk Festevents Small Business Kickstart Program.

All applicants will be notified by April 2026 if their application was selected to participate in the Kickstart program. Applications will be accepted beginning February 2026.