Marketplace

Buy & Give

Local, Small, Diverse

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Buy from Local. Buy from Small. Buy from Diverse.

Buyers & Sellers Connection

Now more than ever, buying small, local, and diverse is critical.  The Institute's Buyers & Sellers Connect tool brings buyers and sellers together.

Sellers:  Register your business, goods, and services to be searched by buyers across the state.

Buyers:  Search a repository of small, local, and diverse businesses across North Carolina to find the goods and services you need.

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Give to Local. Give to Small. Give to Diverse.

Small Diverse Business Emergency Relief Fund

Give to the Small Diverse Business Emergency Relief Fund

The Institute, the Women’s Business Center of North Carolina, the Women’s Business Center of Charlotte, and the South Atlantic Small Business Transportation Resource Center are partnering on the establishment of the Small Diverse Business Emergency Relief Fund. With the state and local shelter-in-place ordinances for citizens, many small businesses and entrepreneurs are experiencing significant economic impact.

This fund is open to minority or women-owned small businesses whose operations & revenue are affected by reduced customers, and clients.  The relief fund will provide grants for up to $1,000 for rent, utilities, and other operational expenses of small businesses that have been impacted by a decline in business due to COVID-19.  These funds are not expected to be repaid.  Businesses applying for grant funds must operate in North Carolina, be a small minority owned business, and must demonstrate the immediate needs for resources.  Funds will be administered through the Women’s Business Center of North Carolina.

We welcome individuals as well as corporate donors to sponsor the Fund.  Join us in lending a hand to so many affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Give Your Way

Apply for the Small Diverse Business Relief Fund

Applications are now open!  The Small Diverse Business Emergency Relief Fund supports small, local, and diverse businesses with microgrants of up to $1,000 each.  The grant application is now open for minority and women-owned businesses in North Carolina.

Applications for this fund are currently closed.

HUB Small Business Impact Grant Program (RETOOLNC)

The HUB Small Business Impact Grant Program (RETOOLNC) provides grant funds for small businesses (for-profits) adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Eligible businesses are certified HUB and DBE firms with 50 employees or less. Grants are only available to certified businesses with $1,500,000 or less in revenue, according to 2019 tax filing.