Waterbury/WBDC Small Business Grant Program

Waterbury/WBDC Small Business Grant Program is sponsored by Waterbury/WBDC. This program offers grants to eligible small businesses in Waterbury, Connecticut, for clearly defined projects intended to drive business growth and improve profitability.

Waterbury Grant Program - WBDC For businesses based in Waterbury, CT The Women’s Business Development Council is offering grants of up to $10,000 to qualified small businesses located in Waterbury, Connecticut. The Waterbury/WBDC Small Business Grant Program is designed to help businesses in the City of Waterbury, Connecticut grow!

Grants between $2,500 and $10,000 will be awarded for clearly defined projects that will have a measurable impact on the business, its growth and profitability. The grant funds cannot be used towards operating expenses (e.g. inventory, on-going marketing expenses, salaries), real estate improvements (e.g. construction costs), reimbursement for past purchases or debt repayment.

Para traducir la página al español, haga clic en el botón Español en la parte superior de la página o en el menú del lado derecho si esta usando su celular. Please be aware: there is no need to pay a consultant to prepare your grant application for you. If you have questions on the application, please email Microgrants@ctwbdc.

org and WBDC will answer your questions at no cost. We also offer free one-on-one advising. You may schedule an appointment by contacting info@ctwbdc.

org. Grant funds cannot be used to pay a consultant to prepare your application. The final deadline to apply is June 15, 2026.

You must submit your application by the deadline to be considered.

Learn about the Waterbury/WBDC Small Business Grant Program To be eligible, the business must: Have been in business for at least one year (as of the date of your application submission) with a record of sales Have a record of annual sales/revenue in the last twelve months greater than $25,000 and less than $2,000,000 Be registered in Connecticut Be located in Waterbury, Connecticut and have a zoning permit from the City of Waterbury Be in good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services (DRS) Have an established business checking account Currently utilize a formal, digital bookkeeping/financial system (e.g. QuickBooks, Sage, FreshBooks, Wave Accounting) Be owned by a person that is at least 18 years old The following businesses are not eligible: Child care businesses are not eligible for the WBDC/Waterbury Small Business Grant.

If your business is in the childcare industry, WBDC has other programs for you. We encourage you to visit our Child Care Business Grants page to learn more or reach out to us at childcarebusiness@ctwbdc. org .

Any individual or business who has already received a grant from WBDC is not eligible. Current vendors or contractors of WBDC are not eligible. Former vendors are eligible to apply a year after working with WBDC.

Medical marijuana; liquor stores and alcohol distributors; adult businesses such as strip clubs; vape retailers; tobacco shops and smoking lounges; businesses having to do with gambling; gun stores and ranges; cash advance, check cashing, or pawn shops; bail bonds; collection agencies or services; and auction or bankruptcy or fire or “lost-our-lease” or “going-out-of-business” or similar sale Non-Profit Organizations and Sole Proprietors are not eligible for the WBDC/Waterbury Grant.

If you are ineligible, our businesses advisors are available to work with you to support your business, at no cost to you. If you would like to schedule an appointment to meet with a WBDC business advisor, please contact our team at info@ctwbdc. org .

Recorded webinars are available to enable applicants to prepare their applications before submitting. Get started by watching a recorded information session! Click here: Waterbury Grant Info Session Click here: Waterbury Grant: Projections WBDC Business Advisors are available to help answer your questions after you have attended a live or on-demand information session.

Please email info@ctwbdc. org to schedule an appointment. *Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of experts from the community.

WBDC Business Advisors will not be making the decisions on who receives grants.

There are four sections to the application: Section A: How you would use the grant Section B: Narrative of your business Section C: Upload supporting documents Section D: Compliance and consent Click here to download the application questions in English Click here to download the application questions in Spanish What the review committee is looking for Thoughtful, complete, and well-developed picture of your business that shows a path to growth.

Exceptionally clear use of funds, with a direct link to growth, focused, strong supporting detail. Financial Projections are robust and reflects seasonality of business in projections where all numbers make sense.

Display the business’ long-term potential, with strong growth and potential for continued growth Job creation potential, with the business being on track to adding more jobs Return on investment, that the funds will unlock growth Grant will have a meaningful impact on the business and help the business grow and scale *Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of experts from the community.

WBDC Business Advisors will not be making the decisions on who receives grants. This template is provided as a guide by the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC). Applicants are welcome to use this template or their own format if they prefer.

Download the projected profit and loss template (English & Spanish) How to Create Projections Access on-demand lessons about how to create projections based on your business type. eLearning: Pricing, Profitability, Projections for a Product Business eLearning: Pricing, Profitability, Projections for Service Business For additional assistance please email info@ctwbdc. org to request an appointment with a finance advisor.

How to Obtain Your Letter of Good Standing Please request your letter from the CT DRS myconneCT online center: 𝗺𝘆𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗖𝗧 (ct. gov) Here is a tutorial to on how to request the status letter: Requesting a Status Letter (of Good Standing) (ct. gov) Click here to see an example of what your status letter should like.

Please note that if it does not look like this – it is the wrong document. Meet Our Grant Recipients​