Last verified: October 14, 2026.
New Jersey will pay up to $400,000 to a founding team so its members can quit their jobs and build. That is NJEDA's Innovation Fellows program, open until December 4, 2026. NJEDA runs most state grant programs, and many fill up fast, so check status before you plan around one.
Grants are only one option. See every way to fund your business.
New to grants? Start with the small business grants hub and how to apply for a small business grant.
Local and state sources in New Jersey
| Source | What it offers | Status on October 14, 2026 | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) | State grant, loan and incentive programs | Some programs are full; see official page | https://www.njeda.gov/ |
We could confirm only one New Jersey state program open to new applicants today. City and county programs exist but we did not confirm an open one.
Read the status line before you read the amount.
Programs open now, verified today
New Jersey Innovation Fellows (Cohort III)
- Amount: income replacement grants of $200,000, with bonuses up to $200,000 (up to $400,000 total).
- Who qualifies: teams of at least three people working to launch a business in New Jersey. Bonuses apply for Opportunity Zone residents, women or minority founders who self-certify, or New Jersey college graduates. See NJEDA's full rules.
- Deadline: applications must be submitted by Friday, December 4, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
- Official page: https://www.njeda.gov/njeda-to-open-applications-for-next-cohort-of-the-new-jersey-innovation-fellows-program/
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant (nationwide)
- Amount: $10,000 grants. Verizon says 10 businesses are picked each month from June to December 2026.
- Who qualifies: owners 18 or older of a for-profit business in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Finish two free courses or events on Digital Ready to unlock the application.
- Deadline: courses and events must be done by Monday, December 7, 2026.
- Official page: https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding/details
Skip $10,000 Growth Grant (nationwide)
- Amount: one $10,000 grant.
- Who qualifies: U.S.-based entrepreneurs and small business owners age 18 or older, so New Jersey owners can apply.
- Deadline: apply by Thursday, December 17, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
- Official page: https://helloskip.com/funding-details/10k-grants-fall-2026
Tips: free help in New Jersey
New Jersey SBDC offices help with plans and applications. Find an SBDC, SCORE mentor or Women's Business Center with the SBA local assistance locator.
How to apply without missing a step
- Confirm your address is inside the program area before anything else.
- Read who qualifies: employee counts, years open and revenue limits knock out most applicants.
- Gather your business license, recent tax return, quotes or photos the page asks for.
- Note the time zone and hour on every deadline, then submit a day early.
Example
Here's a hypothetical. Priya and two former coworkers are building Tidewater Assay (a made-up business), a lab testing tool, in Newark. All three would need to leave their jobs. They read NJEDA's rules for the Innovation Fellows program and start the application together. Priya also finishes two Digital Ready courses for her side consulting firm.
Scam red flags
- Grants.gov says applying for a federal grant is completely free.
- Nobody legitimate asks for a fee to release a grant you won.
- The SBA only emails from addresses ending in @SBA.gov.
- Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.FTC.gov. See Grants.gov on grant fraud and our grant fee scams guide.
Next steps if no grant fits
See small business grants open now, or use the full funding guide linked near the top of this page.
Related: grants by business type: women-owned, minority-owned, startups, veteran-owned, sole proprietors and rural businesses.
Sources
All checked October 14, 2026.
- NJEDA Innovation Fellows: https://www.njeda.gov/njeda-to-open-applications-for-next-cohort-of-the-new-jersey-innovation-fellows-program/
- NJEDA: https://www.njeda.gov/
- Verizon Digital Ready: https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding/details
- Skip Growth Grant: https://helloskip.com/funding-details/10k-grants-fall-2026
- SBA, Grants: https://www.sba.gov/loans/additional-funding-opportunities/grants/
- Grants.gov, Grant fraud: https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grant-fraud
- FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/