The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (“DMPED”) invites the submission of applications from qualified organizations for the FY26 DC Emerging Retail Initiative (“ERI” or “Emerging Retail”).
Donor Name: Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED)
State: District of Columbia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/16/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The purpose of ERI is to boost economic activity and provide essential goods and services in underserved commercial areas. Inspired by Vacant to Vibrant, ERI adopts a temporary-use model that bridges the gap between shared/incubator spaces and permanent brick-and-mortar establishments.
Funding Information
The total amount of funding available for this Program is $200,000. DMPED anticipates making up to 10 awards for up to $40,000, per award.
Grant Period
All grant activities must be completed within 18 months of conditional award, unless such date is extended by DMPED in its sole and absolute discretion.
Uses of Funds
Grant funds may be used solely to support the following costs:
- Up to 100% of the grant can be applied towards the following hard costs:
- Up to 50% of the grant can be applied towards the following soft costs:
- Marketing materials and services, this can include a temporary marketing consultant
- E-commerce sales systems to support existing operations, including B2C and B2B retail and wholesale activities.
- Public safety equipment
- Salaries and wages for additional staff members added during the period of performance
- Rent is only allowed for pop-ups in vacant retail spaces.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for a grant under the Program.
- Business Type: Retail or service-oriented businesses (excluding professional services) or non-profits within the arts and humanities sector.
- Pop-up Stalls
- Short-term retail spaces
- Incubator spaces
- Food halls
- Community-driven markets
- Status: Applicants may be new or existing businesses and must be one of the following:
- Retail business (engaged in the sale of home furnishings, apparel, books, art, groceries, and general merchandise goods to specialized customers)
- Retail-service business (sit-down restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and other specialty food retailers; this is not an exhaustive list)
- Child or Elder Care (Businesses providing goods or services geared toward the enrichment of children, families, and adults)
- Arts and humanities non-profit
- Commercial revitalization organizations
- Commercial Site Control: Must demonstrate site control through a Lease, Letter of Intent (LOI), or other legally verifiable agreements for a temporary space.
- Revenue: Average annual revenue for the last three years must be below $500,000 for the primary applicant model. Businesses applying under the subleasee model are exempt from the annual revenue cap.
- Create at least one (1) new permanent job within the period of performance, with a commitment to hire District residents.
- Be certified or eligible to be certified as a Local Business Enterprise (LBE) as defined in D.C Official Code § 2–218.31.
- Be located in or abutting an existing Great Streets corridor.
Ineligibility
The following applicants are not eligible to receive a grant under the Program:
- Adult entertainment
- Auto-body repair
- Bank
- Construction/general contracting/architecture/design-build
- E- commerce business
- Financial services
- Home-based businesses
- Hotel or lodging business
- Professional service
- Real estate development/property management/realtor
- Businesses that have received funding from Great Streets or Emerging Retail in the last 5 years are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit DMPED.
