Edition #37: 05/05/2025

Have A Business Need? NJBAC Can Help.

The NJBAC is offering no-cost technical assistance, training, and problem-solving – we are here to support all of your Business Enhancement needs. Whether you have a one-off resource question, are looking for a strategic assessment of a district, or could use some quick visualized tactical inspiration to foster visible and tangible change, NJBAC can help. Contact NJBAC Assistant Director Jef Buehler to start the conversation and move towards action.

Today’s email has information on assistance we can provide, as well as about technical and financial resources that may be a fit for your community or district. Please feel free to share this information with other officials, district management stakeholders, and businesses. To see all prior Business Enhancement Connection emails, click here!

Best Practices

Bike Audit Tool Kit: This hands-on toolkit by AARP can be used by local leaders, cycling advocates, groups and individuals to assess and report on the safety and bikeability of a street or neighborhood — and inspire needed change. The free guide and its worksheets are available in English and Spanish. Download the guide here and download the worksheets here.

Micromobility Devices Are Part of the Solution: Wanting to learn about how micromobility works and can help safely connect people with places? This webinar about the New Jersey Micromobility Guide and how these devices (e-bikes, scooters, etc.) are shaping transportation and housing policy and laws in particular is being held on May 21, 2025 1-2pp, You can register for the webinar here. The potential upside on our transportation system is enormous, and we can maximize their potential through a clear understanding while addressing legitimate concerns.

Building a Homelessness Prevention System – A Toolkit: This downloadable toolkit aims to help local leaders nationwide replicate Santa Clara County’s proven homelessness prevention model. Within the toolkit, you’ll find step-by-step guidance on the key actions and decisions necessary to build an effective homelessness prevention system like the one in Santa Clara County — along with detailed descriptions of how Santa Clara County approached each one. You will also find checklists of activities necessary at each juncture, tips for answering skeptics and links to original documents and materials from Santa Clara County that other communities are free to use.

Problem Solving in Cities - Webinar: A panel at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University will offer insights on the latest in flexible, evidence-based approaches to solving problems in cities. The panel will feature Professors Rachel Meltzer and Alex Schwartz, as well as Tiffany Chu, chief of staff to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Center for Cities Director Jorrit de Jong will moderate. The event is on Monday, May 12, at 2:30 pm ET. Sign up for the webinar here.

A New Export Webinar Series for Businesses: The no-cost South Jersey Export Webinar Series, by NJBAC, will share information with businesses about the benefits of exporting, and how to get started with existing local resources. Both product-based and service-based businesses are invited to learn how to conduct international market research, start an export plan, and assess their company’s export readiness. All events are virtual and businesses can register for their county-specific one here:

Stay tuned for updates on the addition of other counties!

Featured Grants & Support

Free Business Incubator Program Online: Looking to support your business owners – particularly, but not exclusively women - with a no-cost high impact incubator program for small businesses for building skills, networks and increasing their access to resources? PROPEL, a 12-week curriculum that businesses can work through at their pace, guided by a mentor and with access to a team of experts is being offered by the non-profit Positive Planet US. Business owners build or refine their plan, and then launch and/or grow their business. The next cohorts are starting in August, so it’s a great time to share this with your businesses – they can apply here online today!

Levitt Music Series Grants: Applications for 501(c)3 non-profits open May 1 through June 30, 2025, for the 2026-2028 Levitt Music Series Grants to activate underused public spaces and build community through the power of free, live music. There will be a live webinar on May 21, at 1 p.m. to learn about the exciting, multi-year matching grant opportunity of up to $120K ($40K each year) for towns and cities of all sizes to present a free outdoor concert series. This webinar will cover key details about the program such as matching requirements, three funding levels and scopes, and grant eligibility. There are three main grant opportunities: Levitt BLOC (for any community), Levitt AMP (for towns and cities under 250,000), and Levitt VIBE (for larger cities.) See the links for each for more details!

2025 Safe Streets & Road for All (SS4A) Funding Opportunities The 2025 SS4A grant window has opened! County and local governments may apply for either planning or implementation grants totaling almost $1 Billion in funding for these grants. Implementation grants range from $2.5 million to $25 million, with approximately 40-70 grantees selected. Planning grants range from $100,000 to $5 million with approximately 400-700 grantees selected. Planning and Demonstration Grant and Implementation Grant applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM (EDT) on June 26, 2025. For all of the grant application details, take a look at the grant program guide here. Want to see best practices and learn from folks who understand how to make a successful application? Check out this resource page with a webinar and other helpful examples and guidance. To start an application for an Implementation Grant, see this link. And to apply for a Planning Grant, use this link.

EDA Grants and Funding for Non-Profits: The NJEDA Business Banking Products for Nonprofits informational webinar at 10AM on May 14^th will explore the range of funding programs available to nonprofits. These offerings include a variety of flexible financing and grant opportunities, such as the Premier Lender Program, Small Business Fund, Direct Loan, Bond Financing, NJ Capital Access Fund, and the Main Street Acquisition Support Grant Program. Sign up for the webinar here to learn more about the eligibility requirements and the benefits each program

NJBAC Can Work With All the Businesses in Your Community

We are here to support your communities’ and districts’ businesses. NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any business in NJ – any size, any location, and any type. Businesses can always download the NJBAC Small Business Manual – a one-stop tool for many business concerns – online here. A Spanish version of the manual is also available here. Individual businesses or organizations can order a printed English copy as well by clicking this link or the Spanish version by clicking this link. For bulk orders of up to 25 printed copies in any language, please contact NJBAC’s Tracy Thomas directly.

Our NJBAC team can advocate for businesses, concierge them to funding and technical solutions, help them find locations for growth or developing export markets, guide them to navigating the commercial cannabis sector, and much more. Want to set something up online or on-site for your businesses? Reach out to NJBAC Assistant Director Jef Buehler to get plugged in to all of our business success services.

NJBAC’s Business Enhancement Services is online: Now you can refer to Business Enhancement Services directly online with just a click! Please favorite the website – it will be expanding over time as we add new resources and tools that support municipal and district revitalization and place-based business enhancement.

Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Department of State
New Jersey Business Action Center
The Hon. Tahesha Way, Secretary of State