Local governments in North Carolina located in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene can now apply for grants from the new Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program (SmBIZ), a $55 million dollar fund designed to rebuild the damaged infrastructure that small businesses rely on to operate and thrive.

Commerce's Rural Economic Development Division administers the program, funded through legislation recently passed by the North Carolina General Assembly (House Bill 47/Session Law 2025-2).

The SmBIZ fund is not related to a pending federal Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery grant, which we expect will include a Commercial District Revitalization component.  This separate, federal grant will be managed by another Commerce business unit, the Division of Community Revitalization.

Access the SmBIZ Grant Application

First time visitors to our Rural Connect portal above will need to register as a new user.

Purpose of the SmBIZ Fund

• Provide financial assistance for community recovery and resilience to communities specifically impacted by Hurricane Helene, helping to bring back vital services for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Restore and repair critical infrastructure, allowing small businesses to resume function and operations to support economic recovery and sustainability.
• Assist in restoring or expanding small businesses’ ability to attract customers to business districts to help retain business, expand access, spur private investment to create stability, and leverage resources to create resiliency and economic growth.

The SmBIZ program will offer grants to local governments, and the related infrastructure projects will target and support small businesses that employ 150 or fewer employees. Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Grants awarded under this program must be used by local governments to address qualifying infrastructure needs that Commerce, in consultation with applicant local governments and related small businesses, determines are the result of Hurricane Helene’s impact and have adversely affected access to, or operations of, the identified small businesses.

Qualifying infrastructure must serve one or more businesses within the identified project area and must have been damaged by Hurricane Helene. The infrastructure cannot be owned by the small business, nor can it be such that the small business is responsible for maintaining it. Infrastructure may include but will not be limited to water, sewer, gas, telecommunications, high-speed broadband, electrical utility, sidewalk and curb infrastructure, and other repairs that remove barriers and restore or increase access to impacted small businesses.

Hazel Edmond, Director
Rural Engagement & Investment
Rural Economic Development Division
984-297-5082 (Mobile)
hazel.edmond@commerce.nc.gov