Backing Small Businesses: Disaster Recovery Grant Program (US)

Funding Information

• Businesses affected by FEMA-declared disasters on or after January 1, 2024, can apply for one of 100 available $10,000 grants to assist in their recovery efforts.

What qualifies as a disaster?

• The disaster must be declared by FEMA, and includes all categories of Disaster Types and Incident Types. Incident Types include:
  • Biological
  • Coastal Storm
  • Dam/​Levee Break
  • Earthquake
  • Fire
  • Flood
  • Hurricane
  • Mud/​Landslide
  • Other
  • Severe Ice Storm
  • Severe Storm
  • Snowstorm
  • Straight-Line Winds
  • Tornado
  • Tropical Depression
  • Tropical Storm
  • Typhoon
  • Winter Storm
• The incident date of the disaster must include at least one date on or after January 1, 2024.
• The disaster must have at least one county listed as a Designated Area eligible for either Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible small businesses are those businesses:
  • that have been in operation on or before January 1, 2024,
  • were located in a county/​parish/​borough listed as a Designated Area of a FEMA Declared Disaster with an incident date on or after January 1, 2024,
  • that operated out of a physical location (meaning ​“brick-and-mortar” location) in an older or historic main street, downtown or commercial district in the United States or U.S. territories at the time of such disaster,
  • that have not previously received a grant sponsored by American Express related to recovery from such disaster,
  • that employ 20 or less full-time employees (including the company owners),
  • that are a registered business entity in good standing in the state in which it was formed and the state in which it does business (e.g., not an unincorporated contractor or self-employed individual),
  • that are not part of a national franchise.
  • Applicants must be an owner of the eligible small business and 18 years of age or older.

Evaluation Process & Criteria

• Applications will be reviewed based on:
  • Feasibility:
    • Can the proposed project be completed with $10,000 in funding? If not, have other funding sources already been secured to cover any overages?
    • Can the proposed project be realistically completed by September 30, 2025?
  • Need:
    •  and/​or economic loss has the business experienced due to the disaster?
  • Impact:
    • How will the grant funds help the business recover from the disaster?
    • Will the grant funds help the business return to normal operations in a brick-and-mortar location?
    • Will the grant funds be used to help the business leverage sales, re-grow customer base, or better prepare the business in some way for a future disaster?
  • Community Significance:
    • How involved is the applicant’s small business in their community, both in the present and historically?
    • Does the business serve a community-specific need in its operation?

For more information, visit Main Street America.