Detroit to award more than $1 million in grants to local entrepreneurs

• The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation will award more than $1 million in small business grants across five programs between July and October 2026.

• Green Grocer, NextUp313, the Detroit Startup Fund, the Detroit Legacy Business Project and Motor City Match support entrepreneurs from first-time founders to established Detroit businesses.

• Grant amounts range from $1,500 to $50,000 depending on the program and business stage.

• The funding builds on Mayor Mary Sheffield's Rise Higher agenda to expand economic opportunity in every Detroit neighborhood.

DETROIT (JULY 28, 2026) — The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), in partnership with the City of Detroit, will distribute more than $1 million in grant funding to Detroit entrepreneurs through five small business programs opening for applications between July and October.

The funding runs through Green Grocer, NextUp313, the Detroit Startup Fund, the Detroit Legacy Business Project and Motor City Match, each targeting a different stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from opening a first storefront to scaling an established company. The announcement comes as entrepreneurship activity climbs across the state.

Michigan recorded 152,060 new business applications in 2025, an increase of nearly 13% over the prior year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. At the same time, existing small businesses are under pressure. A February 2026 survey by the Small Business Association of Michigan found 87% of small business owners saw higher costs than in previous years and 66% struggled to stay fully staffed.

“This investment gives entrepreneurs at every stage, from the retailer providing fresh food access to the legacy business that has served a community for decades, the resources they need to grow,” said DEGC President and CEO Kevin Johnson. “We hear every day from business owners who have a great product or a loyal customer base but can’t clear the next hurdle on their own. These grants exist to clear that hurdle, whether it’s opening day or year thirty.”

The funding supports Mayor Mary Sheffield’s Rise Higher agenda, which calls for cutting red tape for small businesses, expanding grant opportunities for Black-owned and women-owned firms, and building an economy that reaches every Detroit neighborhood.

“Small business owners have helped to carry this city, and it’s on us to build a government that shows up for them the same way,” said Mayor Mary Sheffield. “When we invest in a grocery store or a startup, the whole neighborhood benefits. Multiply that across every corridor in Detroit, and that’s how our city continues to rise.”

The DEGC notes that funding to capital remains a challenge for Detroit’s small business owner. A 2024 survey of more than 1,200 regional business owners by Detroit Future City found that 86% relied on personal savings to launch their businesses, more than double the share reported in 2020, and more than 60% of respondents were Black-owned businesses.

“We designed each of these programs around a different pain point we hear from business owners,” said Sean Gray, senior vice president of Small Business Services at the DEGC. “Our team works one-on-one with applicants from the first conversation through ribbon cutting, so this isn’t just money going out the door. It’s a partnership that sticks around.”

Application windows for each program are as follows:

Green Grocer Program: July 15 to Aug. 17

The fourth round of Green Grocer will award $100,000 in grants of up to $25,000 apiece to small-format grocery stores. The program helps independent grocers and food retailers expand access to fresh, healthy food in Detroit neighborhoods.

NextUp313: Aug. 24 to Oct. 5

The second round of NextUp313 will award $63,500 in grants of $1,500, $3,500, $5,000 and $10,000 to Detroit business owners ages 18 to 30, helping the city’s next generation of entrepreneurs get their companies off the ground.

Detroit Legacy Business Project: Aug. 24 to Oct. 5

The fourth round of the Detroit Legacy Business Project will award $310,000 in grants of $5,000, $15,000 and $50,000 to brick-and-mortar Detroit businesses that have been in operation for 30 years or more, helping them modernize operations, stabilize finances and remain fixtures on their commercial corridors.

Detroit Startup Fund: Aug. 31 to Oct. 5

The third round of the Detroit Startup Fund will award $300,000 in grants of $15,000 and $50,000 to technology startups with exponentially scalable business models, filling a critical gap for founders who face barriers to traditional financing.

Motor City Match: Sept. 1 to Oct. 1

The 33rd round of Motor City Match will award $315,000 in grants, with an average grant size of $50,000, to new brick-and-mortar Detroit businesses, connecting entrepreneurs with vacant commercial space and fueling the small business growth visible on corridors across the city.

Detroit business owners can learn more at bit.ly/DEGCsmallbusiness.

About the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation:

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is a non-profit organization that serves as Detroit’s lead implementing agency for business retention, attraction and economic development. DEGC is led by a board comprised of business, civic and community leaders. Its staff provides services for key public authorities that facilitate incentives and other forms of financing for projects that bring new jobs and investment to the City. DEGC also manages important initiatives to support small businesses and grow neighborhood commercial corridors. DEGC is dedicated to inclusive development and access to economic opportunity.