Grants and Business Resources
The DRA wants to provide the best resources to help you start your business here in Downtown Raleigh. In addition to the business resources listed below, there are other opportunities that could assist in the project, including:
Grants and Small Business Support Programs
Downtown Storefront Upfit Grant: Learn more about Raleigh Civic Venture's grant program to help new and expanding storefront businesses in downtown with upfit and standup costs. Retail business uses are eligible everywhere in downtown with restaurant, service, and pop-up uses also eligible if located in the core of downtown.
DRA Small Business Workshops: As part of our mission to advance the vitality of Downtown Raleigh for everyone, DRA supports downtown's business owners with quarterly small business workshops.
Facade Grant Program: Learn more about the City of Raleigh’s grant program to help downtown storefront businesses and property owners with improving the façades of their buildings.
Building Up-fit Grant: Learn more about the City of Raleigh’s grant program to help tenants defray up to $25,000 in up-fit costs.
Employee Benefits
GoPass Transit Program: For businesses interested in offering transit benefits to staff - the GoPass program provides unlimited access to transit for as low as $150 a year for 75 staff members.
Small Business Parking Program: The Small Business Parking Relief program offers a limited number of parking passes at several downtown parking garages (Wilmington Street Station, Moore Square, Municipal Complex, City Center/ Red Hat, Convention Center Underground.) This temporary program began in January of 2021 and provides up to (10) parking passes per business location.
Applicants must be owners or an authorized management representative of a storefront restaurant, retailer, or personal services business with less than 49 employees and will need to complete an application which includes the business’s EIN and other identifying information.
The program has a limited number of spaces available and will be offered on a first come first serve basis.
Starting a New Business
The City of Raleigh has provided a useful list of questions and answers for prospective business owners to review. Learn the common questions about starting a new business in the City or Raleigh.
Small Business Center (SBC) at Wake Tech Community College
The Small Business Center at Wake Tech Community College is a state funded organization which is part of the Small Business Center Network of North Carolina. The SBC provides small business owners with information they need for starting or expanding their small business and offers, confidential, one-on-one counseling with the Small Business Center Director. For more information call (919) 335-1001.
Raleigh SCORE
Raleigh SCORE offers free business counseling resources. For more information, call (919) 856-4739 from Monday - Friday from 9 am - 12 pm.
NC Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
The SBTDC is the business and technology extension service of the University of North Carolina which oversees the 16 constituent institutions of the University system. The SBTDC is administered by North Carolina State and operated in partnership with US Small Business Administration. It is committed to providing knowledge, education and other supportive resources that enable existing small and mid-sized businesses, emerging entrepreneurs and local/state leaders to innovate and succeed. For more information, please contact (919) 715-7272 or (800) 258-0862 (in NC only), email them at info@sbtdc.org.
Business Link North Carolina
BLNC, or "blink," is a business resource access point for an extensive network of experts who can help your business succeed. Business Link North Carolina can connect you to services provided by state-supported agencies, many of which are free. Call BLNC toll-free at (800) 228-8443, or local at (919) 807-4280, Monday - Friday, 8 am to 5 pm EST to talk with one of their business counselors.
N.C. Capital Access Program
This program expands business finance options for businesses across the state. By reducing risk, it encourages banks and other qualified lenders to consider loans that otherwise fall just outside of conventional underwriting standards. For a list of participating banks and institutions as well as more information about the program, visit www.ncruralcenter.org/business-programs/capaccess.html or contact Tony Johnson (919) 250-4314 at the NC Rural Economic Development Center.
The Support Center
Assists with funding available through Community Development Credit Unions.