Small Business Grant (Columbia, MO, REDI)
City of Columbia, administered by Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI)
$5,000 or $10,000
Eight city-funded grants of $5,000 or $10,000 for small Columbia, MO businesses, with a written application and interview. The 2026 round is over.
Columbia, Missouri funds a yearly competitive Small Business Grant run by REDI: in 2026, six grants of $5,000 and two of $10,000 for locally owned, for-profit businesses in Boone County licensed to operate in Columbia. The business must have 10 or fewer employees, gross sales under $250,000 in the past 12 months and be willing to work with a REDI business coach. It runs in three phases (eligibility, written application scored out of 100, finalist interview), and businesses owned by residents of economically disadvantaged areas are prioritized. The 2026 round is over and winners were notified May 29.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Municipal
- Amount range
- $5,000 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- $5,000 (six awards) or $10,000 (top two scores).
- Deadline
- 2026 round closed (Phase Two closed May 6, 2026). A 2027 round is not announced.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- MO
Who qualifies
- For-profit entity registered in Missouri
- Located in Boone County and licensed to operate in Columbia, MO
- 10 or fewer employees (FTEs)
- Gross sales under $250,000 in the past 12 months
- Willing to work with a REDI business coach
- Have or open a business bank account by Phase Two
- Not a franchise; not a sole proprietor unregistered with the secretary of state
- Prior-year REDI MBE (2024) or Small Business (2025) winners are not eligible for 2026
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Growth, innovation and operations improvements (specific restrictions not published)
Ineligible expenses
- See official program guidance
How to apply
-
1
Attend an info session
REDI offers pre-application sessions each year.
~2 hrs
-
2
Phase One: eligibility
Upload business documents; confirm structure, license and EIN.
~2 hrs
-
3
Phase Two: written application
Business background, team, how you will use the grant; scored out of 100, 15 bonus points for select census tracts.
~6 hrs
-
4
Phase Three: interview
30-minute interview with judges, worth 75 points.
~2 hrs
Check your census tract first: applicants from select tracts get 15 bonus points on the written score.
Deadline & timing
2026 timeline: Phase One April 3 to April 14, Phase Two April 20 to May 6, interviews May 25 to 27, winners notified May 29. Recurrence is inferred from the page naming earlier editions (a 2024 MBE grant and the 2025 Small Business Grant), not stated.
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Required documents
- Business documents confirming structure, license and EIN
- Written application
- Business bank account by Phase Two
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Last updated October 31, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.