2026 Restaurant & Retail Stabilization Grant

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The 2026 Restaurant & Retail Stabilization Grant (RRSG) will support small businesses in the Washington, D.C. restaurant and retail industries to help them remain viable. 

Background 

Grant funding will be available through the 2026 Restaurant and Retail Stabilization Grant to restaurants and retail businesses located in Washington, D.C. (D.C.). Individual grants of up to $50,000 can be used to pay mortgage, rent, utility, insurance, common area maintenance (CAM), and/or payroll costs incurred between January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. 

The Restaurant and Retail Stabilization Grant is funded through the District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and is administered by Capital Impact Partners (CIP). 

Timeline 

  • Application opens May 5, 2026
  • Application closes at 11:59 PM EDT June 5, 2026
  • Applicants will be notified by August 31, 2026 
  • Awardees will receive funding by the third quarter of 2026
  • Grant period will end six months after funding is received

Eligibility 

To be eligible for this grant, a business must:  

  • Be a for-profit, restaurant, or retail business at a brick-and-mortar location 
  • Be a business established before June 1, 2024
  • Have a physical location in the District of Columbia  
  • Have an annual gross revenue between $100,000 and $5,000,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 (or since business was launched, if it is before June 1, 2024)
  • Demonstrate a decline in gross revenue between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
  • Have an unexpired, fully executed deed, or lease
  • Only apply for one business location within the District of Columbia
  • Be independently owned and operated, if the business is a franchise
  • Be a restaurant (including bars, taverns, wineries, breweries, and distilleries) that is an establishment primarily engaged in providing food services to patrons who order and are served while seated (full-service) or pay before eating (limited-service/fast food), or
  • Be a retail business engaged in the sale of merchandise (retail store) or a business engaged in the sale of services (retail service) to the general public including: art galleries; art supply stores; bars or taverns; bookstores; bakeries, card, gift, or party stores; clothing/specialty apparel stores; consignment shops; convenience stores/corner stores; dry cleaners; florists with on-site retail; furniture stores; grocery stores; gyms, yoga, dance, or fitness studios; hair salons or barbershops; wineries, breweries, or distilleries (with tavern or manufacturer license that sell products onsite); hardware stores; home goods stores; jewelry stores; laundromats; nail salons; pet supply stores; pharmacies, printing/signage shops; specialty shops; tuxedo/dress rental shops; tailors; waxing centers; wine shops.

Businesses are ineligible for this grant if they are a:  

  • Home-based or mobile business
  • Temporary, seasonal, or pop-up business
  • Business in any industry other than restaurant or retail
  • Nonprofit
  • Business that is engaged in the sale of merchandise or services in the following sectors: adult entertainment; auto-body repair; banks; businesses that are franchises that are not independently owned and operated; cannabis dispensaries and/or cannabusinesses; childcare providers; construction/general contracting/architecture/design-build; financial services; food establishments used exclusively for preparing meals for delivery or takeout without customer-facing space (i.e., “ghost kitchens”); health care and healthcare adjacent businesses (e.g., dentists, physical therapists, acupuncture, and chiropractor offices); home-based businesses; hotel or lodging business; nightclubs that do not serve food; online only/e-commerce businesses; professional services (e.g., accountant, insurance, and law office), real estate development/property management/realtor.

Preference will be given to businesses:

  • That demonstrate at least a 10% decline in gross revenue between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
  • That did not receive funding from DMPED in the last three years
  • That have a positive impact on residents and/or other enterprises where products and/or services are produced, sold, or delivered
  • That purchase food, goods, or services from the local economy (D.C., MD, VA)

Use of Funds

Eligible uses of grant funds are:  

  • Occupancy costs (mortgage, rent, utilities, insurance, CAM)
  • Payroll

Ineligible uses of funds are: 

  • Anything that is not mortgage, rent, utilities, insurance, CAM, or payroll 

Informational Webinars

  • Informational Webinar 1:  Wednesday, May 13, 12-1 PM EDT, Register here
  • Informational Webinar 2:  Wednesday, May 20, 11 AM-12 PM EDT, Register here
  • Informational Webinar 3:  Thursday, May 28, 10-11 AM EDT, Register here

Office Hours

  • In-Person Office Hours:  Monday, May 11, 3-5 PM EDT at MLK Memorial Library, Register here
  • Virtual Office Hours: Monday, May 18, 11 AM-2 PM EDT, Register here
  • In-Person Office Hours: Tuesday, May 26, 11 AM-2 PM EDT at MLK Memorial Library, Register here
  • In-Person Office Hours: Tuesday, June 2, 10 AM-1 PM EDT at MLK Memorial Library,  Register here

Scoring Criteria

  • Prior DMPED funding (5%) – preference for business that have not received DMPED funding in the last three years
  • Community impact (5%) – does the business have a positive impact on residents
  • Local economy (5%) – does the business purchase food, goods, or services locally
  • Completeness (20%) – is the application complete with all required documents
  • Demonstrated loss (30%) – does the business demonstrate a decline in gross revenue in 2025
  • Demonstrated viability (35%) – does the business demonstrate continued viability

Documents Required in the Grant Application

  • Business W-9 dated after January 1, 2026
  • Business license
  • Deed or lease agreement
  • Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, or similar formation documentation appropriate to entity type
  • Bylaws, Operating Agreement, or similar formation documentation appropriate to entity type
  • Annual profit and loss statement for 2023, 2024, 2025. If the business was not in operation for the entire time period, profit and loss statements will be required for the time it was in operation between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025.
  • Federal tax returns for 2023, 2024, and 2025 (if available). If the business was not in operation for the entire time period, tax returns will be required for the time it was in operation between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025.
  • Payroll roster, which should include position title, wage, and hours (full-time or part-time), if any positions are unfilled (title and wage), but should NOT include personally identifiable information about employees such as first and last name, social security number, etc.

Documents Required if a Grant Finalist

  • Certificate of Good Standing from the D.C. Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), which was formerly the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) dated within 90 days of notification
  • Certificate of Clean Hands from the D.C. Office of Tax & Revenue dated within 90 days of notification
  • Certificate of Insurance

Questions

Please contact Alison Powers, Director, Economic Opportunities, Capital Impact Partners, nourishdc@capitalimpact.org, (703) 647-2369.

Technical assistance in Spanish is available through our partner, the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC). For more information please contact Leo Hernandez, Leo.Hernandez@ledcmetro.org, (202)-540-7414.

 

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