# Up to $15,000 for small businesses in Mission, Texas closes Saturday, plus a $1,000 Houston pitch due Wednesday > Mission, Texas will put up to $15,000 into a local small business if it applies by Saturday, October 31. Plus four more open grants, from a Houston pitch to Tampa microgrants, verified today. By Jordan Menlo · Published October 26, 2026 Section: Business Funding › Grants · Series: Grant Finder (https://mcafax.com/notebook/category/grants) Canonical: https://mcafax.com/notebook/grant-finder-2026-10-26-15k-mission-texas-houston-pitch Source: MCAFax, The Broker's Notebook (https://mcafax.com/notebook). MCAFax is not a lender or a law firm. --- Mission, Texas will put up to $15,000 into a local small business, and the portal shuts Saturday, October 31. The catch: you must be in operation for at least two years, with tax returns for the last two years and a project plan with verified cost estimates. Here's a hypothetical. Copperleaf Tire & Brake (a made-up shop) has a busted second bay lift and a quote sitting on the counter. That owner already has most of what this grant asks for. Also below: a $1,000 live pitch in Houston due Wednesday, two Portsmouth, Virginia grants that close Saturday, up to $5,000 in Hyattsville, Maryland, and Tampa microgrants for businesses under a year old. Grants are competitive. We opened every official page today; trust the page if a detail differs. Listed by deadline, soonest first. ## 1. Main Street Rising Tour Pitch, Houston (Texas businesses) - Amount: The page lists $1,000. Selected founders pitch live to a panel of judges, and winners take home a cash prize. - Who qualifies: Businesses operating in Texas with a venture-scalable or venture-viable product or service that are fully operational, meaning actively conducting business and generating revenue, and tech-enabled. - The catch: You must register for and attend the event to be considered. It runs Tuesday, November 10, 8:00 am to 12:30 pm CT at The Ion in Houston. - Also note: Travel costs are not covered. - Deadline: Wednesday, October 28, 2026. - Official link: [Hello Alice Houston pitch application](https://www.helloalice.com/opportunities/grants/main-street-rising-tour-pitch-application-houston) ## 2. Ruby Red Ventures - Build Mission Fund (Mission, Texas) - Amount: Grants of up to $15,000 per applicant, based on your project plan, cost estimates and need. - Who qualifies: Businesses located within the Mission city limits with fewer than 30 employees and less than $1M in annual net revenue, in good standing with local tax entities, and in operation for at least two years with tax returns for the last two years. - The catch: You must submit a detailed project plan with verified cost estimates and a timeline. - Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026. The page says to complete your application online before November 1. - Official link: [Mission EDC Build Mission Fund page](https://www.missionedc.com/grow-your-business/programs/ruby-red-ventures-build-mission-fund) ## 3. Smart Start grants (Portsmouth, Virginia) - Amount: Up to $2,000 (Business Development Grant) or up to $5,000 (Business Acceleration Grant). - Who qualifies: For-profit small businesses and nonprofits based in the City of Portsmouth with 10 or fewer full-time equivalent positions. - Which one: Development is for businesses in operation for 0 to 3 years, and Acceleration is for 3 to 10 years, shown by a city business license. - The catch: Development applicants must first finish the My Own Business Plan Institute online course or an approved equivalent. Acceleration repays 80% of eligible costs after you pay the full bill, so you carry a 20% match. - Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026 for Round 2. Late applications roll to Round 3 in January. - Official link: [Portsmouth EDA business investment grants](https://www.accessportsmouthva.com/business-resources/eda-business-investment-grants/) ## 4. Corridor Investment Grant (Hyattsville, Maryland) - Amount: Up to $5,000 for a Business Development Grant, up to $2,500 for public placemaking and up to $1,500 for programming. Grants cover up to 80% of the total project cost. - Who qualifies: Private and nonprofit partners with creative placemaking projects, programming initiatives and business development strategies. A one-time Commercial Tenant Subsidy is open to small businesses that are a use underrepresented in the marketplace, or are Maryland or Prince George's County certified women-owned or minority-owned businesses. - The catch: Structural repairs, interior work and roof repairs are not eligible. Check the linked guidelines for location rules. - Deadline: Friday, November 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm. - Official link: [Hyattsville business incentives page](https://www.hyattsville.org/cip) ## 5. Entrepreneur Microgrants (Tampa, Florida) - Amount: Up to $1,500 from the BASE Grant for businesses under 12 months old, or up to $3,000 from the STEP Grant for businesses open 12 months or more. - Who qualifies: Microenterprises with five or fewer full-time equivalent employees, including the owners, operating within Tampa city limits. Household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income, or the business must serve a neighborhood where at least 51% of residents are low or moderate income. - The catch: You must complete technical assistance and a business plan first, then a partner submits a referral form for you. - Deadline: Monday, February 15, 2027 for referrals. - Official link: [City of Tampa Entrepreneur Support Hub](https://www.tampa.gov/deo/economic-opportunity/tampa-entrepreneur-support-hub) **Before you apply** A real grant never charges a fee to release money. We saw no application fee on any of these five pages. If anyone asks for a gift card, a "processing fee" or your bank login to unlock a grant, walk away. Run a shop in Mission or Portsmouth? You have until Saturday, so send #2 or #3 to the owner next door today. For more ways to pay for a business, read [our guide to where to get business funding](https://mcafax.com/notebook/where-to-get-business-funding) or browse [every Grant Finder post](https://mcafax.com/notebook/category/grants). Verified on each official page: October 26, 2026 (2026-10-26). ## Questions readers ask **Who can apply for the Build Mission Fund in Mission, Texas?** Businesses located within the Mission city limits with fewer than 30 employees and less than $1M in annual net revenue, in good standing with local tax entities, and in operation for at least two years with tax returns for the last two years. **How much is the Build Mission Fund, and when does it close?** Grants go up to $15,000 per applicant, based on the project plan, cost estimates and need. The online portal closes Saturday, October 31, 2026. **How do I pitch at the Main Street Rising Tour in Houston?** Register for and attend the Houston event, then submit the pitch application by Wednesday, October 28, 2026. You must be a fully operational, revenue-generating, tech-enabled business operating in Texas. **What is the difference between the two Portsmouth Smart Start grants?** The Business Development Grant pays up to $2,000 to businesses in operation for 0 to 3 years. The Business Acceleration Grant pays up to $5,000 to businesses in operation for 3 to 10 years, as a reimbursement of 80% of eligible costs. Round 2 closes Saturday, October 31, 2026. **When is the Hyattsville Corridor Investment Grant due?** Applications are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, November 20, 2026. Business Development Grants go up to $5,000 and can cover up to 80% of the project cost. **Can a brand-new business get a Tampa microgrant?** Yes, if it qualifies. The BASE Grant offers up to $1,500 to businesses operating for less than 12 months within Tampa city limits, after the owner completes technical assistance. Referrals are due Monday, February 15, 2027.