FY 2026 Robust Retail Citywide Grants
The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is excited to announce that we will accept applications for the FY26 Robust Retail Citywide Grants.
The FY 2026 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 Fiscal Year 2026 funding.
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 FY2025 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 listed in the checklist provided in the RFA.
How Do I Apply?
All instructions are included in the formal “Request for Applications” (RFA). 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 learn more, CLICK HERE.
FY26 Multi-Program Payor Grant Program
The Multi-Program Payor Grant Program is a DSLBD initiative designed to improve the ease of doing business by reducing the administrative barriers to receiving DSLBD grants. The use of payors, or third-party grant servicers, enables faster disbursement of grant funds to the hundreds of District-based business awardees selected to receive DSLBD grants each fiscal year through competitive processes. Selected payors will disburse grant funds at DSLBD’s direction, but DSLBD will facilitate all other aspects of grants management.
The Department intends to award one (1) to two (2) grants ranging from $15,000.00 to $100,000.00, from the total available funding for FY26. These grants are intended to support the administration of direct to business grants or subawards totaling $480,000.00 to $1,637,000.00.
Who can apply?
To be eligible for this grant opportunity, applicants must meet the following criteria: the applicant's business must be a DC-based non-profit, actively certified Community Development Finance Institution (“CDFI”), or a Certified Business Enterprise (“CBE”) that is a certified financial institution. Additionally, the applicant’s business must be in good standing with the District, and the applicant's organization must attest that its executive director or other officer(s) have not been suspended from any District grant program for any reason within the past five (5) years.
How do I Apply?
Instructions are included in the RFA, which will be available for download on DSLBD’s website on or before November 28, 2025. To view the RFA, CLICK HERE.
DSLBD will be hosting an information session on December 1, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET. To sign up, CLICK HERE.
