The Coramino Fund — LISC & Gran Coramino Tequila Small Business Grants
LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) / Gran Coramino Tequila
$10,000
$10K grants for under-resourced urban businesses
The Coramino Fund, a partnership between LISC and Gran Coramino Tequila, awards $10,000 grants to small business owners in under-resourced communities across Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, and Los Angeles. Businesses must be less than 5 years old, have no more than 3 locations and 30 employees, and be owned by someone 21 or older. The program has supported 150+ businesses across 10+ industries. Note: applicants cannot hold beverage alcohol retail licenses due to legal restrictions tied to the distilled spirits sponsor.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- $10,000 flat for all recipients. The program has supported 150+ businesses across multiple rounds.
- Deadline
- Annual — Round 4 opened March 31, 2026 and closed April 6, 2026. The application window is very brief (approximately 1 week). Monitor LISC for Round 5 announcement.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- GA, IL, MI, TX, CA
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- Registered business entity in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, or Los Angeles
- Business owner must be 21 years of age or older
- Business operational for 5 years or less
- No more than 3 locations
- No more than 30 employees
- Must have a business bank account
- Must provide financial documentation
- Applicants CANNOT hold any interest in beverage alcohol retail licenses (bars, liquor stores, wine shops, etc.) — legal restriction tied to the Gran Coramino Tequila sponsorship
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Location restriction: Atlanta GA, Chicago IL, Detroit MI, Houston TX, or Los Angeles CA
- Max 30 employees
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Staff hiring and payroll
- Equipment purchases and upgrades
- Physical space improvements (renovation, signage, fixtures)
- Marketing campaigns
- Working capital and operating expenses
Ineligible expenses
- Businesses involved in beverage alcohol retail (bars, liquor stores, wine shops)
- Personal expenses
- Businesses operating more than 5 years
- Businesses with more than 30 employees or 3 locations
How to apply
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1
Sign up for LISC alerts immediately
Subscribe to LISC Small Business notifications at lisc.org. The application window is only 1 week long. You cannot prepare and apply after the window opens — you must have your documents ready in advance.
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2
Prepare financial documentation in advance
Gather your business bank account information, business registration, and financial documentation (tax returns or bank statements). Have these ready before the application window opens.
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3
Submit application immediately when window opens
Complete the LISC online application during the open window (approximately 1 week). The application asks about business type, number of employees, locations, years in business, how funds will be used, and your community's under-resourced status.
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4
LISC review and notification
LISC reviews applications and notifies selected recipients. Timeline between close and notification is not published.
The application window is 1 week or less — the shortest of almost any US small business grant. Subscribe to LISC alerts and prepare all documentation months in advance. You will miss this grant if you're not ready to submit the day it opens.
Deadline & timing
Round 4 had an extremely brief application window: open March 31 – April 6, 2026. This is one of the shortest application windows of any small business grant program. Monitor lisc.org/coramino-fund and subscribe to LISC alerts to be ready when the next round opens. Don't wait — missing the window by even a day disqualifies you.
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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.