ReStore Boston — Storefront Improvement Grant
City of Boston Office of Small Business
Up to $200,000
Storefront grants for Boston small businesses
City of Boston grant covering 50–90% of signage and facade improvement costs for eligible for-profit businesses with physical storefronts. Signage grants reach up to $8,000; facade renovation grants reach up to $200,000. Priority is given to businesses in low-to-moderate income areas. Includes free design assistance from architects and sign designers. Federally funded through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Municipal
- Amount range
- $200,000
- Realistic amount
- Most signage awards are $3,000–$8,000. Facade renovation awards are highly variable — smaller scope projects typically $…
- Deadline
- Five deadlines annually: February 1, April 1, May 15, September 1, and November 1
- Status
- active
- States
- MA
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- For-profit business with a physical storefront in the City of Boston
- In good financial standing with the City of Boston (no outstanding debts or taxes owed to the City)
- At least 3 years remaining on current lease, with written landlord permission to make improvements
- Applicant must have funds available to cover their portion of project costs (10–50%) before the City portion is reimbursed
- Located in a low-to-moderate income (LMI) area or primarily serving customers from LMI areas (LMI status determines priority, not absolute eligibility)
- Storefront must not be in disrepair due to neglect or contain solid roll-down security grates (must commit to replacing grates if receiving a grant)
Hard requirements
- Location restriction: City of Boston — physical storefront required
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Exterior commercial signage (design, fabrication, and installation)
- Facade renovation (painting, tuckpointing, masonry, windows, doors, awnings)
- Accessibility improvements required for facade project compliance
- Removal of solid roll-down security grates (when replacing with compliant security)
- Architect and design fees included in facade grant (provided as free design assistance by City)
Ineligible expenses
- Interior improvements (ReStore is exterior/signage only)
- Inventory, supplies, or equipment not permanently affixed to the building
- Work begun before formal City approval
- Improvements to residential or mixed-use properties where business use is secondary
- Businesses with outstanding debts to the City of Boston
How to apply
-
1
Prepare pre-application documents
Obtain a City of Boston Vendor ID, your EIN, and a UEI (SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier). Gather your lease, landlord contact, and a property affidavit. Check whether your address qualifies as LMI using HUD's mapping tool.
-
2
Submit online application before a deadline
Complete the online application at boston.gov — approximately 1 hour to complete. Attach lease documentation, landlord written consent, and basic financial documents. Submit before one of the five annual deadlines (Feb 1, Apr 1, May 15, Sep 1, Nov 1).
-
3
Work with the City's design team
If selected, the Office of Small Business pairs you with an architect or sign designer (at no cost) to develop project plans. This design assistance phase can take 4–8 weeks for signage and 2–4 months for facade projects.
-
4
Obtain contractor bids and get City approval
After design plans are finalized, obtain contractor bids. The City reviews and approves bids before work begins. No work should be started before formal written approval.
-
5
Complete work and receive reimbursement
After completing the approved work and paying contractors, submit invoices and paid receipts for reimbursement. City pays its share (50–90%) within 4–6 weeks of a complete submission.
Applying before the February 1 deadline captures the freshest annual CDBG allocation. The program explicitly warns: applying does NOT guarantee a grant. LMI location is the strongest priority factor.
Deadline & timing
ReStore Boston accepts applications on 5 annual cycles. Applications submitted between deadlines are reviewed after the following deadline. Responses are issued within one month of each deadline close. Program is funded by CDBG so availability depends on annual federal allocations.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.