Application Preview

INTRODUCTION

The NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC or Collective) aims to be as targeted as possible with our grants. We do this in hopes of increasing our impact and decreasing time and resources spent by potential applicants for whom the grant is not a good fit.

 For a comprehensive guide to eligibility requirements for the partnership grant and additional considerations, please visit www.nysmallbusinessfunders.org and review the Grant Guidelines, Scoring Rubric, and other materials. After reviewing the information, if you believe your project is a good fit for this grant, please click on the “apply” link which will take you to the online application portal, beginning with an Eligibility Survey. 

REVIEW PROCESS

After application submission, each proposal will go through an initial vetting by program management staff. After this screening, applications will be reviewed by a Grant Review Committee, a group comprised of funders of the Collective and external reviewers representing different viewpoints from within the small business ecosystem. 

Award finalists (lead and partner) will be asked to participate in an interview before final decisioning, in March 2027. A public announcement and event will occur during Small Business Month in May 2027. Award disbursements are anticipated to be in annual installments, with interim and final reporting required.

If additional assistance is needed after reviewing the application packet, please email: inquiries@nysmallbusinessfunders.org. In addition to the information session on October 29 (register here), the Collective will also publish FAQ on the website. 

ELIGIBILITY

The Eligibility Tool is used to determine whether your proposed program is: 1) eligible, 2) likely to be competitive, or 3) a better candidate for future rounds of funding.

Is the LEAD applicant a 501c3 based in one of the five boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island)?

YES/NO 

Is the proposed project a collaboration of at least two organizations?

YES/NO 

Is the proposed project structured as a partnership to explore innovative solutions in succession planning and small business acquisition, working directly in community with local small business owners?

YES/NO 

Is the proposed project aimed at assisting businesses with at least one of the following interventions in succession planning or small business acquisition? (Different but related approaches are also eligible.)

1. CAPITAL: Unlock capital products specifically designed for ownership transfers (ETA, ESOPS, worker ownership conversions, community search funds, etc.)

2. AWARENESS: Expand knowledge of ownership alternatives such as Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA), Social Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (sETA), Employee Ownership (EO), and other community-based options that carry significant benefits for owners, workers, and community members

3. RESOURCES: 

   • Coordinate networks & facilitation between owner/buyer (with cultural alignment)

   • Upskill TA providers (so they can help small businesses improve their valuation, gain awareness about options like employee ownership, and position themselves for a meaningful exit)

   • Bring TA and outside experts such as accountants, attorneys, and mediators to the table

     • Culturally competent advising, planning, and legal services

     • Guard against one-size-fits-all models and predatory practices

     • Community-based, multilingual, trusted providers

YES/NO 

APPLICATION

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Lead Organization name 

• Is the Lead Organization a 501c3? Yes/No

  • If yes, please provide EIN 

  • If you have a Fiscal Sponsor, please provide:

    • fiscal sponsor name 

    • EIN

• Lead Organization website

• Project contact name (first, last)

• Project contact title

• Project contact email

• Project contact phone

• Project Partner Organization

• Partner contact name (first, last)

• Partner contact title

• Partner contact email

• Partner contact phone

• Partner organization is

  • 501c3, fiscally sponsored, not formally structured, other

Note: if you have more than one partner, please share details in your narrative.

GRANT/PROGRAM DETAILS

Tell us about your mission and work. (250 words)

How do your organizations assist small business owners? (250 words)

Within the five boroughs, what will be the geographic focus of the proposed work? (50 words)

Please indicate below the primary intervention(s) you will use in your approach (see list below).

1. CAPITAL: Unlock capital products specifically designed for ownership transfers (ETA, ESOPS, worker ownership conversions, community search funds, etc.)

2. AWARENESS: Expand knowledge of ownership alternatives such as Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA), Social Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (sETA), Employee Ownership (EO), and other community-based options that carry significant benefits for owners, workers, and community members

3. RESOURCES: 

   • Coordinate networks & facilitation between owner/buyer (with cultural alignment)

   • Upskill TA providers (so they can help small businesses improve their valuation, gain awareness about options like employee ownership, and position themselves for a meaningful exit)

   • Bring TA and outside experts such as accountants, attorneys, and mediators to the table

     • Culturally competent advising, planning, and legal services

     • Guard against one-size-fits-all models and predatory practices

     • Community-based, multilingual, trusted providers

4. OTHER (text box)

Share specifics about the proposed supplier diversity project, including pain points within procurement (particular to small businesses) that you hope to address. (500 words)

PARTNERSHIP DETAILS

Please share how the partnership centers support for historically excluded small business owners, including how local ownership will be prioritized in your work. (250 words)

Select the size of the small businesses that will be the primary focus of this project:

• Annual receipts up to $250,000 (microbusiness)

• Annual receipts up to $1 million

• Annual receipts $1 million - $5 million

How does your project pave the way for more historically excluded business owners to prepare/plan for a meaningful exit or enable them to acquire a small business? (250 words) 

How do your efforts complement existing initiatives in the succession planning/small business acquisition space or represent a new approach? (100 words)

Are members of your partnership able to participate in a learning cohort? (Time commitment: 2x annually with digital networking): Yes/No

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

What is the budget size and age of each organization involved? (one sentence)

Please complete the brief line item project budget in the template below indicating use of grant funds up to $250,000 ($100,000+ annually). Each partner’s allocation should be included. (optional text box included for clarifications/context)