Last verified: October 14, 2026.
Two Ohio local grants close within a week of October 14, 2026. Cuyahoga County is offering $1,000 to $10,000 grants through October 19, and Huber Heights closes October 16. Ohio grant money for small businesses is mostly county and city money, and windows are short.
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 Ohio
| Source | What it offers | Status on October 14, 2026 | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County Office of Small Business | Business Boost Initiative grants and technical help | Open; see program below | https://cuyahogacounty.gov/development/businesses/office-of-small-business |
| City of Huber Heights | Economic development grants by category | Open; see program below | https://www.hhoh.org/669/Business-Grants |
We could not load the Ohio Department of Development business page today, so it is not linked here.
In Ohio this week, speed matters more than polish.
Programs open now, verified today
Cuyahoga County Business Boost Initiative Grant
- Amount: $1,000 to $10,000, plus technical assistance and resources.
- Who qualifies: small businesses in Cuyahoga County. The county page links the full rules from its application form.
- Deadline: apply through Monday, October 19, 2026.
- Official page: https://cuyahogacounty.gov/development/businesses/office-of-small-business
Huber Heights Economic Development Grant Program
- Amount: $150,000 for 2026 across five categories, including $25,000 each for small businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and women- and minority-owned businesses. Those are category totals, not award sizes.
- Who qualifies: businesses in Huber Heights in good standing on zoning, licensing and taxes, with a project that shows a measurable economic benefit to the city. Small means fewer than 50 employees and under $5 million in revenue.
- Deadline: applications close Friday, October 16, 2026, or sooner if funds run out.
- Official page: https://www.hhoh.org/669/Business-Grants
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
Tips: free help in Ohio
Ohio 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. Dom owns Lakeshore Ladder Works (a made-up business), a two-person gutter and window crew in Parma. He wants a second ladder rack and a used trailer. He applies to Cuyahoga's Business Boost the same night he reads about it, then finishes two Digital Ready courses for Verizon's grant over the weekend.
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.
- Cuyahoga County Office of Small Business: https://cuyahogacounty.gov/development/businesses/office-of-small-business
- Huber Heights Business Grants: https://www.hhoh.org/669/Business-Grants
- Verizon Digital Ready: https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/funding/details
- 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/