Working Washington Grants
Washington State Department of Commerce
$10,000–$50,000
WA small business relief grants
Washington's primary direct-grant program for small businesses and nonprofits affected by economic disruptions. Administered by the WA Department of Commerce, Working Washington rounds have delivered targeted cash grants to restaurants, gyms, lodging, arts venues, and other hard-hit sectors. Awards are typically $10,000–$50,000 per business. Program is cyclical — rounds open in response to specific economic conditions and legislative appropriations.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $50,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awardees receive $10,000–$25,000. Businesses with 2–19 FTEs in targeted sectors (food service, lodging, gyms, arts)…
- Deadline
- Between intakes — program opens in rounds tied to legislative appropriations. No active round as of May 2026. Monitor commerce.wa.gov for future announcements.
- Status
- discontinued
- States
- WA
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- Must be a Washington State-based business or nonprofit with a primary location in WA
- Must have been in operation prior to the qualifying economic disruption date (varies by round)
- Typically capped at businesses with 1–150 employees (exact FTE thresholds set per round)
- Must demonstrate economic impact from the triggering disruption (revenue loss documentation typically required)
- Priority sectors historically include: restaurants/bars, gyms/fitness, lodging, arts/entertainment venues, retail with in-person sales
- Must hold a valid WA business license (UBI number)
- Nonprofit organizations serving the public are eligible in most rounds
- Businesses that have received other state or federal COVID/disruption-related funds may still apply but amounts may be reduced
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital (rent, utilities, payroll, insurance)
- Operational costs to maintain or reopen business
- Inventory purchases
- Equipment repairs or replacement
- Any legitimate business operating expense — funds are generally unrestricted
Ineligible expenses
- Non-business personal expenses
- Lobbying or political activities
- Payment of federal or state taxes (in most round rules)
- Capital construction of new facilities (rounds focus on operational survival)
How to apply
-
1
Monitor for round announcement
Watch commerce.wa.gov and sign up for the WA Commerce small-business newsletter. Rounds typically open with 3–4 weeks notice and close within 3–6 weeks of opening.
~1 hrs
-
2
Verify eligibility and gather documents
Confirm your UBI number is active, locate prior-year tax returns or revenue statements to document loss, and confirm employee count. Gather bank account info for direct deposit.
~1 hrs
-
3
Submit online application
Apply through the designated online portal (changes each round — link posted at commerce.wa.gov). Applications are typically 15–30 minutes. Required: UBI, NAICS code, employee count, revenue figures, bank routing/account.
~1 hrs
-
4
Application review and disbursement
WA Commerce or its contracted administering organization reviews applications. Approved grants typically disbursed within 4–8 weeks of application close. Funds sent via direct deposit or check.
~1 hrs
Apply within the first 48 hours — rounds close early when oversubscribed. Having your UBI, NAICS code, and prior-year revenue figure ready cuts application time to under 20 minutes.
Deadline & timing
Working Washington grants are reactive to economic disruptions and require new legislative appropriations for each round. Past rounds had 3–6 week application windows. Sign up for WA Commerce small-business newsletter to receive advance notice. Future rounds are possible but not guaranteed — budget-dependent.
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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.