Quick Answer: St. Petersburg’s main small business grant is the South St. Petersburg CRA Microfund, which awards up to $10,000 with no matching funds to businesses located inside the 7.4-square-mile South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area. Applicants must have operated in the CRA for at least six months, attend a mandatory Microfund 101 workshop, and complete roughly 15 hours of business coaching. The city also offers CRA commercial building grants and a larger Economic Development Incentive Program for job-creating projects. All programs run through the St. Pete Greenhouse and open in application windows, so the first step is confirming your address is in the CRA and joining the Greenhouse notification list.
Key Takeaways
- Almost every city grant is place-based: your business must sit inside the South St. Petersburg CRA, generally bounded by 2nd Avenue North and I-275/I-175 on the north, 4th Street South on the east, 30th Avenue South on the south and 49th Street on the west.
- The Microfund pays $10,000 to brick-and-mortar and family childcare businesses, $5,000 to home-based and shared-space businesses, and $2,500 to early-stage startups.
- There is no cash match. The “buy-in” is time: a workshop prerequisite plus a 45-business-day capacity-building curriculum with a mentor and navigator.
- The Microfund portal opens in rounds and is currently closed; applicants who were not funded in a prior round must reapply.
- Larger projects can seek the CRA Economic Development Incentive Program, first used in September 2026 for a $325,000 award to the Looking Glass project on MLK Street South.
Step 1: Confirm You Are in the CRA
Open the boundary map at stpete.org/cra and check your business address. The South St. Petersburg CRA is the largest redevelopment district in the city and one of the largest in Florida, covering Greater Childs Park, more than 20 neighborhood and business associations, and two Florida Main Street districts, the Deuces (22nd Street South) and the Skyway Marina District. If you are outside the boundary, skip to Step 6.
Step 2: Pick the Right Program
| Program | Who It’s For | Amount | Match Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRA Microfund | Existing CRA businesses (6+ months), startups | $2,500–$10,000 | None |
| Commercial Site Improvement Grant | Owners/tenants improving exteriors, signage, facades | Varies, reimbursement | Yes |
| Commercial Building Interior & Tenant Improvement Grant | Build-outs of commercial interiors | Varies, reimbursement | Yes |
| Commercial Revitalization Program | Larger rehab of aging commercial buildings | Varies | Yes |
| Economic Development Incentive Program | Job-creating private projects in the CRA | Loans, guarantees, forgivable loans; Council approval | Project-based |
| Affordable Housing Redevelopment Loan | Developers of affordable housing in the CRA | Bridge and low-interest loans | Project-based |
The Microfund is the entry point for most owners. The building grants are reimbursement programs, meaning you spend first and the city pays you back after inspection, so cash flow matters. The Economic Development Incentive Program was created by City Council in 2023 and saw its first funding determination this month: Mayor Ken Welch approved $325,000 for developer John Barkett’s Looking Glass project on MLK Street South, pending Council approval. Three of that project’s seven businesses are Black-owned.
Step 3: Meet the Microfund Eligibility Rules
- Business located within the CRA for at least six months (startups have a separate track).
- Attend a Microfund 101 Workshop or Webinar before submitting; applications are incomplete without it.
- Commit to the capacity-building curriculum: up to 45 business days and roughly 15 hours of education, mentoring and networking, paired with a business navigator and mentor.
- Develop an improvement plan; a spending plan is finalized with staff to ensure funds go to eligible uses.
- Past graduates may apply for a different business three years after their original cohort.
Step 4: Prepare Your Documents
Have these ready before the portal opens, because windows have historically run about 30 days (the December 2023 round ran Dec. 14 to Jan. 15):
- Proof of business location and tenure in the CRA (lease, utility bill, Sunbiz filing)
- City business tax receipt
- Basic financials or a startup budget
- A written improvement plan describing what the funds will buy
- Workshop completion confirmation
Step 5: Apply and Complete the Cohort
Applications go through stpete.org/microfund and the St. Pete Greenhouse, the city’s small business hub at 440 2nd Avenue North that administers city-funded programs. Cohorts have run at roughly four-month intervals, with about 45 businesses per cohort. Funds are released as you complete the curriculum, not up front.
Step 6: Options Outside the CRA
City grants are limited outside South St. Pete, but the Greenhouse offers free counseling, licensing help and workshops to any city business. The Pinellas County SCORE chapter and the Florida SBDC at USF provide free advising. After a declared storm, the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program has historically opened interest-free short-term loans statewide. Federal SBA 7(a) and microloan programs are available through local lenders year-round.
Brian’s Take
The Microfund is the best-designed small business program in Tampa Bay for one reason: it removed the match. Every earlier city program required the owner to front the money, which is exactly what a business on 22nd Street South doesn’t have. The tradeoff is the 15-hour curriculum, and that is a feature, not a cost. The city has now put $1.35 million into more than 150 businesses through this channel, and the first Economic Development Incentive award this month signals the CRA is ready to fund bigger projects. The practical advice: get on the Greenhouse list today, take the 101 workshop the next time it’s offered even if the portal is closed, and have your improvement plan written. The businesses that get funded are the ones that were ready the day the window opened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay the Microfund grant back? No. It is a grant, not a loan, and there is no match. Funds are tied to completing the curriculum and an approved spending plan.
Is the Microfund open right now? The application portal is closed as of September 2026. The city announces new rounds through stpete.org/microfund and the Greenhouse mailing list.
Can a home-based business apply? Yes, if it is located inside the CRA. Home-based and shared-commercial-space businesses qualify for $5,000.
What can I spend the money on? Targeted business improvements identified in your plan, such as equipment, signage, marketing, technology or build-out costs, subject to city approval.
Are there grants for businesses in downtown or north St. Pete? Not through the CRA. Those businesses can use Greenhouse services, SBDC counseling and state or federal loan programs.
Sources and Further Reading
- City of St. Petersburg, South St. Pete CRA Microfund Program — https://www.stpete.org/residents/grants___loans/south_st_pete_cra_microfund_program.php
- City of St. Petersburg, South St. Pete Business and Development (CRA place-based grants and loans) — https://www.stpete.org/residents/grants___loans/cra_place-based_grants.php
- City of St. Petersburg, “South St. Petersburg CRA Microfund Program Applications Now Open,” Dec. 14, 2023 — https://www.stpete.org/news_detail_T30_R845.php
- St. Pete Catalyst, “South St. Pete corridor the focus of economic initiative,” September 2026 — https://stpetecatalyst.com/south-st-pete-corridor-the-focus-of-economic-initiative/
- St. Pete Greenhouse, Incentive Programs — https://stpetegreenhouse.com/incentives/
