Small businesses throughout Long Island may be eligible to receive grants of up to $30,000 from Optimum Businesses and the Long Island Association Foundation.
The 2025 L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grants Program will provide 40 small businesses (20 in Nassau County and 20 in Suffolk County) with $5,000 grants.
Additionally, one small business from each county that has faced extreme hardship will receive an added $25,000 grant. Optimum and the LIA have also partnered with the Long Island Hispanic and African American Chambers of Commerce for this program.
Businesses can apply for grants on the LIA website. Eligible applicants for the $5,000 grant must have 10 or fewer full-time employees, have a brick-and-mortar storefront, or spend most of their time in the community, and the application needs to show how funding will support the growth of the business and the community where it operates.
Businesses must submit a short video and undergo an interview to be eligible for the $25,000 grant. Applicants can also earn up to one year of free membership to the LIA.
The application deadline is March 28. The $5,000 awards are expected to be announced in May and the Grand Prizes are expected to be given later this summer, the LIA said.
“By providing these grants, we are not just investing in individual businesses, but in the economic health and future prosperity of our entire region,” Senior Vice President of National Sales at Optimum Andrew Rainone said.
The LIA Foundation is an organization within the LIA that is focused on supporting local communities and businesses. Matt Cohen said that he wanted to expand outreach and support programs for small businesses when named the LIA president and CEO in 2021.
“Small businesses fuel our region’s vibrancy, and the goals of L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grants program are to empower entrepreneurs, create jobs, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents on Long Island,” Cohen said about the 2025 grant program.
The program awarded $250,000 in grants to 50 small businesses on Long Island in 2024 as part of its first year. LIA said that it received hundreds of applicants in 2024 for the program.
