BOYNTON BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Boynton Beach has opened a new grant program aimed at its smallest businesses, putting up to $25,000 on the table for eligible microenterprises operating inside the city.
The Boynton Beach Department of Economic Development this week officially launched its Microenterprise Assistance Grant Program, funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The initiative is targeted at for-profit businesses in low-to-moderate income areas and businesses owned by low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs.
For businesses that qualify, the funding is meant to support day-to-day growth and longer-term staying power. Eligible uses include equipment purchases, inventory, rent or lease assistance, façade improvements, and workforce investment, all within federal Community Development Block Grant guidelines.
The grant structure is split into two parts. Businesses can receive up to $20,000 for approved business expenses, plus $2,500 for each new employee hired, for up to two positions. That brings the total possible award to $25,000 per business.
The city is aiming the program at very small operations. To qualify, a business must be for-profit and have five or fewer employees. It also must operate from a permanent commercial location within incorporated Boynton Beach, have been operating in the city for at least one year, and either be located in a low-to-moderate income designated area or be owned by a person who meets low-to-moderate income requirements.
That matters because the program is not structured as a broad citywide business incentive open to any applicant. It is tied directly to federal Community Development Block Grant rules, which focus on expanding opportunity in qualifying communities and for qualifying residents.
Responsibility for the rollout sits with the City of Boynton Beach Department of Economic Development, which is handling the application process and public guidance. The funding source is federal, but the city is administering the program through its local Community Development Block Grant allocation.
City officials are also framing the program as a local economic development tool, not just a one-time funding announcement. Boynton Beach says it is currently the only municipality in Palm Beach County offering a microenterprise grant program of this size funded directly through its Community Development Block Grant allocation.
“This program is about strengthening the entrepreneurs who power our local economy,” Gigi Chazu, the city’s Division Director of Economic Development, said in the announcement. “By supporting microenterprises rooted in our neighborhoods, we are expanding opportunity where it matters most.”
For residents and business owners, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Applications are now open, and businesses that think they may qualify should review the eligibility rules closely before applying. The program is limited to businesses with a physical commercial presence in incorporated Boynton Beach, and the low-to-moderate income requirement is central to eligibility.
Owners will also need to be prepared to show that the business has been operating in the city for at least a year and meets the employee cap. Because the money comes through the federal Community Development Block Grant program, allowable expenses are specific, and applications will need to line up with those rules.
What happens next is the application and review phase. The city is directing applicants to its economic development office for full eligibility details, forms, and next steps. Businesses looking for help with expansion costs, hiring, or property improvements now have a defined path to seek assistance, but they will need to document that they meet both the business and income-area requirements tied to the program.
The city has published an application page and contact information for follow-up questions. For small operators in Boynton Beach neighborhoods that meet the program criteria, this is a rare local funding opportunity with a relatively high cap for businesses of this size.
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