The District of Columbia Department of Small and Local Business Development is excited to announce the 2025 Ward 8 Community Investment Fund Grant Program.
Donor Name: District of Columbia Department of Small and Local Business Development
State: District of Columbia
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/18/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Ward 8CIF Grant Program is an initiative by DSLBD aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business in Ward 8. It provides funding opportunities that support equitable access to capital and promote sustainable business growth and long-term success, specifically for businesses in Ward 8 that are operated by residents of Ward 8 in DC.
Funding Information
DSLBD plans to award up to 86 grants, each worth up to $10,000, from the total available funding of $430,000 for FY25.
Eligibility Criteria
Business Entity
- Be incorporated with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (“DLCP”) as a for-profit organization type (e.g., a business);
- Have an active incorporation status at the time of application;
- Be a business located and actively operating in Ward 8;
- Be a business that is a seller of legal goods and services;
- Be licensed to provide all the types of goods and services sold at the Ward 8 business location in the application;
- Have required business license(s) at the business address in the application for all the goods or services sold (“applicable licenses”);
- The business license(s) must be issued by DLCP or other authorized DC licensing authority for the respective type of business license.
- Have an active license status at the time of application.
- Not among the ineligible business types, which include business franchises that are not independently owned and operated, those that are nonprofit organizations, businesses licensed with DLCP for the residential Rental Housing categories and/or selling illegal goods or services;
- Be a business with fewer than twenty-five (25) full-time employees (“FTE”);
- The applicant’s business, owner(s), or any other officers have not been suspended orsubject to termination of a grant agreement from any District grant program for any reason within the past five (5) years;
- DSLBD will not solicit offers from, award grants to, renew or extend grant agreements with, or subcontract to entities that have been suspended or terminated during this timeframe.
- Business cannot be a FY24 Ward8CIF awardee; and
- Have submitted a completed Equitable Access to Capital survey response at within the last 18 months.
- The survey response must match the business name and business address in the application
Business Majority Owner
- Have a majority owner (51% or more ownership in the business) whose primary residence is in Ward 8, and is listed as beneficial owner on the business’ DLCP incorporation record; and
- Be an individual that has not received FY24 Ward8CIF funds.
For more information, visit DSLBD.
