JobsOhio Small Business Grant

JobsOhio Small Business Grant

Funds Ohio employers with training support for newly hired workers to grow a stronger local workforce.

JobsOhio is Ohio's private nonprofit economic development corporation, funded primarily through Ohio Lottery and liquor profits rather than tax dollars, and headquartered at 41 S High Street, Columbus, OH 43215. It administers a portfolio of grants, loans, and tax incentive programs to drive business growth and job creation across the state's ten targeted industries: advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy and chemicals, financial services, food and agribusiness, healthcare, logistics and distribution, technology, and military/federal. The JobsOhio Small Business Grant is a continuously open, rolling program within that portfolio, designed specifically for established small businesses seeking capital for physical and operational investments.

Eligible businesses must have annual revenue between $100,000 and $25,000,000 and at least one year of operating history. The business must generate primarily B2B revenue — consumer retail is explicitly excluded. Eligible project costs include facility acquisition or improvements, machinery and equipment, rolling stock (vehicles), industry-specific software, and training programs. The grant is capped at $50,000 per business, and the project must be instrumental in moving forward — JobsOhio uses this language to filter projects that would proceed regardless of the award. Applications are not submitted to JobsOhio directly; they go through one of seven regional partner organizations in the JobsOhio Network, which includes entities such as Team NEO (Northeast Ohio/Cleveland), Columbus Region (Central Ohio), and REDI Cincinnati (Southwest Ohio).

Because the program is rolling with no fixed deadline, applicants should contact their regional JobsOhio Network partner to initiate the process and confirm current availability. The program guidelines document — which governs precise eligibility thresholds and scoring criteria — is maintained by the regional partners and JobsOhio and should be requested directly. JobsOhio's main contact line is (614) 224-6446.