Local governments can apply for grants from the new $55 million program.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Local governments in western North Carolina can now apply for access to funding to help small businesses continue recovering from the devastation wrought by Helene in September 2024.
Gov. Josh Stein announced Tuesday that $55 million in grants was available as part of a new state infrastructure program called the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program (SmBIZ), aimed at helping small businesses via the state Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division. The division will fund individual grants to a local government of up to $1 million to rebuild public infrastructure that small businesses rely on.
“Western North Carolina’s economy is dependent on its vibrant downtowns and small businesses, and helping them recover is critically important,” said Stein in a statement. “This new grant program will reinvigorate the infrastructure that small businesses depend on, and I appreciate the General Assembly appropriating these funds.”
SmBIZ will use state funds appropriated by the General Assembly in the recently passed Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 Part 1, which Stein signed into law on March 19. The projects tied to the grants will target and support small businesses that employ 150 or fewer employees, with the funding awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Local governments that are awarded the grants must use them to address qualifying infrastructure needs that the Department of Commerce determines are the result of Helene’s impact and have adversely affected identified small businesses. The department will consult with applying local governments and related small businesses. The infrastructure cannot be owned by the small business nor can it be such that the business is responsible for maintaining it.
Infrastructure can include, but won’t be limited to, water, sewer, gas, telecommunications, high-speed broadband, electrical utility, sidewalk and curb infrastructure, and other repairs that either remove barriers or restore or otherwise increase access to the impacted small businesses.
“Successful recovery from disasters of Helene’s magnitude requires everyone to pull together and marshal support from many different sources, both state and federal,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “I’m grateful that the North Carolina General Assembly has quickly provided funds for this vital new infrastructure recovery program.”
Local governments interested in applying for the new grants can find information online, including the application portal.
