Who this helps: NYC small business owners with at least 10 employees, restaurant and retail operators trying to reduce turnover, and nonprofit organizations working with merchant associations or BIDs to revitalize commercial corridors.
If you own a small business in New York City and you’re paying for employee training out of pocket, you may be leaving serious money on the table. The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) runs grant programs that reimburse employers for training costs, pay for commercial district revitalization, and support the organizations that keep neighborhoods commercially viable. Two of these programs — the Customized Training Grant and the Strategic Impact Grant — have 2026 application windows open or approaching, and the funding is real.
The Customized Training Grant: 60% Reimbursement on Employee Training
The Customized Training Grant Program reimburses eligible NYC small businesses for 60% of training costs incurred on behalf of their employees. This isn’t a loan. It’s a grant, meaning you don’t pay it back.
Who Qualifies
- Business must be located in New York City
- Must train at least 10 employees who work full-time at a NYC location
- Employees must be paid at the time of training (it covers their wages during training, too)
- Training must be job-specific — not general workplace skills
What’s Covered
Eligible training includes technical certification programs, software and systems training, safety and compliance training (OSHA, food safety, ServSafe), and specialized skills needed to upgrade your workforce. SBS has worked with manufacturers, hospitality groups, healthcare practices, and retail operations on this grant.
How Much You Can Get
The program reimburses 60% of training costs including instructor fees, materials, curriculum development, and employee wages during training hours. Award amounts vary based on workforce size and training scope — SBS works with each business to scope the grant individually.
How to Apply
Applications and program details are available at nyc-business.nyc.gov. You can also call SBS directly at 888-SBS-4NYC (888-727-4692) to speak with a Business Solutions Specialist who can pre-screen your eligibility before you submit a full application.
Strategic Impact Grants: Up to $100,000 for Commercial District Revitalization
The Strategic Impact Grants program awards up to $100,000 per neighborhood to nonprofit organizations that lead merchant organizing, commercial revitalization planning, and small business support in underserved corridors.
Who Qualifies
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
- Must serve a defined NYC commercial district
- Strong preference for organizations working in neighborhoods without an existing Business Improvement District (BID)
What It Funds
- Merchant association formation and organizing
- Commercial district marketing campaigns
- Placemaking and streetscape improvements
- Technical assistance to small businesses in the district
- Planning work that leads to the eventual formation of a BID
Small BID Support Grant Program: FY2027 Funding Is Coming
For existing smaller BIDs, the Small BID Support Grant Program will provide up to $100,000 per district for Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027). Funds can be used for staffing, planning, and implementing commercial revitalization projects within each BID’s Designated Service Area.
If you’re a merchant in a smaller BID and you want to see the BID expand its services, the July 2026 funding cycle is when to engage your BID director about applying.
How to Take Action This Week
- Call SBS at 888-727-4692 and ask to speak with a Business Solutions Specialist. This is free, and they will pre-screen you for every grant you might qualify for — not just the ones you call about.
- Visit a Business Solutions Center in person. Locations are listed at nyc.gov/site/sbs/about/service-locations.page. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday during business hours.
- Register on the SBS online portal at smallbusinessservices.smapply.io. You can view all open grant applications and start your profile there.
- Gather your documents before applying: business certificate, W-9, payroll records showing at least 10 full-time NYC employees (for Customized Training), and a scoped training plan if you already know what you want to train on.
- For nonprofits: check the Strategic Impact Grants and Small BID Support Grants pages weekly — application windows open on specific dates and close quickly.
Other SBS Resources Worth Knowing About
- NYC Business Express — the city’s one-stop portal for permits, licenses, and incentives, at nyc-business.nyc.gov.
- Commercial Lease Assistance Program — free legal help reviewing your commercial lease before you sign. Call 311 and ask for SBS Legal Services.
- NYC Compete Small Business Loan Fund — low-interest loans for small businesses that can’t access traditional bank lending.
- M/WBE Certification — minority- and women-owned business enterprise certification opens you up to city contracting opportunities. Application is free at nyc.gov/site/mwbe.
What to Watch Out For
Every year, SBS warns about scam “grant consultants” who charge fees to help you apply for city grants. You never need to pay anyone to apply for an SBS grant. The applications are free, and Business Solutions Specialists will help you for free by phone, video call, or in person. If anyone asks for a fee to “process” your SBS grant, walk away.
Also: deadlines are real. The 888-727-4692 line gets busy in the two weeks before any major deadline. Call early in the cycle, not the week before.
The Bottom Line
NYC is one of the most expensive cities in the country to operate a small business. The grant programs SBS runs exist specifically to offset that cost — but only if you know they exist and actually apply. The Customized Training Grant alone can pay for an entire workforce upskilling program that you were already planning to run. Strategic Impact Grants can transform a struggling commercial corridor. The Small BID Support Grants can fund the staff position your BID needs to actually do its job.
Pick up the phone. Call 888-727-4692. Ask what you qualify for. The worst they can tell you is no — and they almost never do.
This article is general information about publicly available NYC grant programs. It is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Eligibility, award amounts, and application deadlines are set by the NYC Department of Small Business Services and may change. Verify current program details directly with SBS before applying.
