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between-intakes Municipal Grant

DC Great Streets Retail Small Business Grant

DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED)

Up to $90,000 (FY26)

Visit official program ↗ See if you qualify — free
The short version

DC corridor storefront grant

An annual, competitive reimbursement grant from the District of Columbia to help small businesses along 13 designated 'Great Streets' commercial corridors make capital improvements to their storefronts and premises. The program supports for-profit retail and service-oriented businesses and nonprofit arts and humanities organizations physically located in a Great Streets corridor, with the goal of turning emerging corridors into thriving, walkable neighborhood centers. In FY26, DMPED planned to award roughly $2 million through the program with individual awards up to $90,000. Applicants verify their address falls within a corridor using DMPED's interactive mapping tool.

Funding type
Grant
Level
Municipal
Amount range
Up to $90,000 (FY26)
Realistic amount
Most awards historically clustered at or below the prior ~$50,000 cap; FY26's higher $90,000…
Deadline
Annual cycle — the FY26 application opened December 12, 2025 and closed January 23, 2026. A new cycle typically opens each winter.
Status
between-intakes
States
Washington, D.C.
Payment model
reimbursement

Who qualifies

What it covers

Eligible expenses

  • Storefront and facade improvements
  • Interior tenant / capital improvements
  • Permanent fixtures and build-out
  • Equipment tied to the premises improvement

Ineligible expenses

  • Working capital and payroll
  • Inventory
  • Improvements outside a Great Streets corridor
  • Costs incurred outside the approved project scope

How to apply

  1. 1

    Confirm corridor eligibility

    Enter the business address in DMPED's interactive Great Streets mapping tool to confirm it sits within one of the 13 designated corridors.

    ~1 hrs

  2. 2

    Scope the improvement project

    Define the capital/storefront improvements, obtain contractor quotes, and assemble a project budget tied to eligible expenses.

    ~6 hrs

  3. 3

    Submit the application during the RFA window

    Complete the application and attachments in DMPED's grants management platform (Submittable / Wizehive) before the deadline.

    ~8 hrs

  4. 4

    Award, improvements, and reimbursement

    If awarded, complete the approved improvements and submit documentation for reimbursement of eligible costs.

    ~4 hrs

Insider tip

Confirm your address is inside a Great Streets corridor with the mapping tool before doing anything else — being one block off a corridor is the most common disqualifier. With FY26 lifting the per-award cap to $90,000 and $2M on the table, a fully-quoted, contractor-backed build-out budget competes far better than a rough estimate.

Deadline & timing

Released via an annual Request for Applications (RFA), usually opening in December with a January submission deadline through DMPED's grants platform. The FY26 round is closed; watch greatstreets.dc.gov for the next RFA.

Programs that stack well

Related programs

DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD)
DC Robust Retail Citywide Grant
Up to $10,000 City of Kansas City, Missouri — City Manager's Office / Economic Development
Kansas City Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund (NTDF) / PIAC Small Business Grant
Up to $25,000 City of Detroit — Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC)
Detroit Motor City Match
Up to $100,000 City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) / SomerCor
Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF)
Up to $250,000

Explore more funding

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.