Last verified: October 14, 2026.
New York City's Customized Training Grant reimburses up to 60% of employee training costs, with grants from $10,000 to $400,000. The next pre-application date is Friday, October 30, 2026.
The SBA says it does not provide grants to start or expand a business, so federal money rarely covers everyday costs. Look to state and city offices, research awards and a few private programs, and never pay to apply.
Grants are only one option. See every way to fund your business.
Want the national picture first? See the small business grants hub.
At a glance: sources in New York
- State agency: Empire State Development (official page).
- Local offices covered: 1.
- Programs below with details checked on their official pages today: 4.
State sources in New York
| Source | Run by | Status | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants and funding listings | Empire State Development | See official page | https://esd.ny.gov/ |
We did not confirm an open direct-to-business grant on these pages as of October 14, 2026. Check them for current programs.
City and county sources in New York
| Office | Status | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| New York City Small Business Services | See official page | https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/index.page |
City and county grants often open for short windows. Check the official page for what is open now.
Programs open to New York businesses, verified today
NYC Customized Training Grant Program
- Amount: grants range from $10,000 to $400,000, reimbursing up to 60% of training costs.
- Who qualifies: NYC-based for-profit businesses operating for more than one year that train at least five employees and give wage increases after training. Smaller businesses can apply jointly as a consortium.
- Deadline: the next pre-application submission date is Friday, October 30, 2026; later dates are listed on the official page.
- Official page: https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/business-services/recruitment-and-training/customized-training-grant-program
NIH Small Business Innovation Research (Parent SBIR)
- Amount: NIH's seed fund page points to $1.4 billion in small business funding; award sizes vary, so see official page.
- Who qualifies: only US small business concerns, as SBA defines them.
- Deadline: Grants.gov lists a close date of Monday, April 5, 2027. NIH uses set receipt dates, so see official page for the next one.
- Official page: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359671
Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program
- Amount: see official page. This is a fellowship with coaching and advisors.
- Who qualifies: a woman age 21 or older who owns the largest stake in a for-profit US business that is at least 51% women-owned and earns at least $75,000 a year.
- Deadline: applications close Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
- Official page: https://www.toryburchfoundation.org/fellows/
NASE Growth Grants
- Amount: up to $4,000.
- Who qualifies: NASE members in good standing when they apply and until the award is made.
- Deadline: ongoing. NASE says there is no single annual deadline and reviews completed applications each quarter.
- Official page: https://www.nase.org/become-a-member/member-benefits/business-resources/growth-grants
Other federal options in New York: search Grants.gov and SBIR.gov for research awards.
Free help and tips in New York
Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and SCORE offer free or low-cost counseling. Find one near you with the SBA local assistance locator.
How to apply
Read the official rules, register where the funder requires, gather documents and submit early. For federal grants, Grants.gov says to allow up to 10 business days for SAM.gov registration. See the full how to apply for a small business grant guide.
Here's a hypothetical. Hudson Lane Print Shop (a made-up business) in Queens has eight staff who need new software training. It files the short pre-application before October 30.
Red flags: grant scams to avoid
- Grants.gov says applying for a federal grant is completely free. A fee to get you a federal grant is a red flag.
- The SBA says it only emails from addresses ending in @SBA.gov.
- Be wary of anyone saying you won a grant you never applied for.
- Report it to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ and read the Grants.gov grant fraud page.
Next: other funding if no grant fits
If no grant fits, the full funding guide linked near the top of this page covers your other options. For other states, start from the small business grants hub.
Sources
All checked October 14, 2026.
- Empire State Development: https://esd.ny.gov/
- New York City Small Business Services: https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/index.page
- NYC Customized Training Grant Program: https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/business-services/recruitment-and-training/customized-training-grant-program
- NIH Parent SBIR on Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359671
- Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program: https://www.toryburchfoundation.org/fellows/
- NASE Growth Grants: https://www.nase.org/become-a-member/member-benefits/business-resources/growth-grants
- SBA grants: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/grants
- Grants.gov applicant registration: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration
- FTC ReportFraud: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/