The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is excited to announce that we will accept applications for the 2025 Robust Retail Citywide Grants.
The 2025 Robust Retail Citywide grant(s) support existing DC-based retail businesses in maintaining operations and viability. DSLBD intends to award up to $10,000 per business to approximately 48 businesses from the $480,000 in available funding for the Fiscal Year 2025.
As part of the 2025 Robust Retail initiative, DSLBD will support small businesses along the North Capitol Main Street corridor through a targeted grant opportunity. With a total of $90,000 in available funding, DSLBD intends to award up to $10,000 to each of the nine eligible businesses.
This grant will be operated as a reimbursement grant, awarded via lottery to DC retail businesses that meet all eligibility requirements by the final deadline. Businesses that received a Robust Retail Citywide award in FY2024 are not eligible to apply.
Who Can Apply?
To meet eligibility for the Citywide grant program, the applicant must be:
- A District-based retail business;
- A licensed for-profit public-facing seller of legal goods and services;
- Physically located in a brick-and-mortar commercial retail space in the District;
- An eligible business type as listed in Appendix A of this RFA;
- Not among the ineligible business types as listed in Appendix A of this RFA; and
Provide all required documents and attestations in the checklist located within the RFA.
How Do I Apply?
All instructions are included in the formal “Request for Applications” (RFA), available for download on or before March 31, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to read the full Request for Applications. Applications will only be accepted through the online application system listed in the Request for Applications (RFA) on DSLBD’s website.
TO APPLY: DOWNLOAD REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA)
Questions?
We will hold online, virtual information sessions. Applicants are highly encouraged to attend a virtual information session. Details on information sessions can be found on the Eventbrite page using the following link: https://bit.ly/RobustRetailWebinarSeries.
Questions regarding the 2025 Robust Retail grant can be emailed to [email protected]. No phone calls will be accepted.
Want to learn more? Watch the video below:
Final Deadline
The absolute final deadline to apply online is March 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, no exceptions.