Eligibility Criteria

GRANT GUIDELINES

To be eligible to apply for the City of Charlotte Corridors of Opportunity Business Opportunity Hub Grant, the applicant must be a non-profit organization/501(c)3, academic organization, or Chamber of Commerce/501(c)6, whose main programming provides workforce development resources, programs and services.

The City of Charlotte will award up to $2.76M in grants to organizations that are currently providing workforce and/or small business support and looking to expand programs to create access to resources within the Corridors of Opportunity.

Eligibility Requirements:

• The organization must employ at least one full-time staff member
• Workforce development programs must benefit individuals living in at least one of the corridors of opportunity
• Must provide documentation that the organization has served the Charlotte community for at least two years (i.e. annual reports or similar supporting documents) and provided workforce support programming for at least two (2) years
• List of current Board of Directors/Advisory Board: Name, Title, Year Appointed to Board.
• Most recently approved audited financials
• • Additional financial statements upon request
• The minimum amount requested cannot be below $200,000. For applicants planning to serve two adjacent corridors (as opposed to one), it is recommended that the funds requested reflect the amount needed to serve two Corridors.
• Submit a plan for how monies will be allocated/spent for a three (3) year period to support workforce development and/or small business support for Corridor residents
• Applicant organizations must be located within Mecklenburg County limits and looking to serve one Corridor or two adjacent Corridors of Opportunity
• The organization must have active programs and/or services providing workforce and/or small business resources AND be looking to expand current services to serve one Corridor or two adjacent Corridors of Opportunity (this includes utilizing funds for a physical space within a Corridor)

Priority Will Be Given To:

• Organizations with a physical space or planning to acquire a physical space within a Corridor of Opportunity. The organization does not need to have a physical space to apply, however, it is strongly recommended. If an organization does not have a physical space or does not have plans to use funds to expand into a space, applicants must describe their active methods of engagement with Charlotte residents. Funds may be used for the acquisition of a physical space in one of the Corridors of Opportunity.
• Organizations connecting residents with employment opportunities via job placement services, 1:1 interviews, job fairs and interview coaching
• Organizations providing industry recognized certifications
• Organizations focused on providing job training in one or more of the following priority industries: Trade & Construction, Financial and Professional Services, Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, Transportation and/or Healthcare
• Organizations providing technical assistance to small businesses ecosystem partners in the form of training, education and skill building in regard to starting and growing a business/scaling
• Organizations that incorporate partnerships with smaller organizations
• Organizations with proven results in small business and workforce development supports
• Organizations that provide the highest return on investment by impacting one specific corridor or adjacent corridors in close proximity
• Organizations that share:
• • Adequate scope of work
  • Itemized budget for execution
  • Timeline for execution
  • Project accountability outcomes
• Organizations that outline the organization’s intended use of the funds (including how many individuals would be served through enhanced services), and the sustainability of programs or new services

Additional Requirements:

• Funds must be completely expended by Thursday, December 31st, 2026
• Grant recipients must meet data reporting requirements post award and agree to the City of Charlotte having access to applicable documents should an audit of the grant program occur
• If funds are to be shared with one or more support partner organization(s) as part of this project proposal, please indicate how funds will be utilized by each organization.