PORTLAND, Ore. — The City of Portland is now accepting applications for the Small Business Digital Navigator Grant, a competitive program funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s fiscal year 2024 Community Project Fund. This grant supports the implementation of digital navigator projects within community-based organizations, helping underrepresented small business owners leverage digital technologies to drive growth and success.
Why Digital Navigation matters for small businesses
Economic and workforce development go hand in hand with entrepreneurship, making them key focus areas for digital equity initiatives. While Portland has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, today’s small businesses need access to resources and opportunities—many of which now depend on digital access.
This grant will support community-based organizations in launching or expanding digital navigator programs tailored to the unique needs of Portland small business owners. Funded projects will:
Enhance digital skills in areas such as digital marketing, website development, e-commerce, and data analytics.
Provide expert consultations and technical support to businesses.
Build long-term digital equity capacity through community-driven programs.
Grant objectives
The Small Business Digital Navigator Grant Program has three key goals:
Increase digital skills of underrepresented small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Enhance competitiveness and sustainability of small businesses in Portland.
Establish long-term digital equity capacity through community-based services.
Eligible Project Activities
Projects funded by this grant may offer a range of services, including but not limited to:
Group training and one-on-one consultations on digital marketing, website development, cloud computing, social media, and data science.
Expert and technical support services, such as website design and online marketing.
Establishing digital skills labs and developing training curricula tailored to small business needs.
Grant details
Funding Amount: Three grants of $155,000 each will be awarded.
Grant Duration: Projects must be implemented between June 2025 and June 2027.
Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 10, 2025.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants are community-based organizations located in Portland, OR that:
Work directly with underrepresented small business owners and entrepreneurs who face barriers to engaging with digital technology.
Have expertise in designing and implementing digital training programs.
Demonstrate the capacity to manage and report on grant-funded projects.
How to apply
Submit applications via the City of Portland Grants Portal by 11:59 p.m. on March 10, 2025.
Below please find the application guidelines and tips on how to register:
If submitting an online application is a hardship, contact connectingportland@portlandoregon.gov for alternative options.