St. Johns Small Business Grant

In December 2025, St. Johns Center for Opportunity, in partnership with the St. Johns Boosters, launched a survey of the St. Johns community to identify the preferred priority for investment of remaining TIF funds.

Prosper Portland will distribute up to a total of $30,000 to businesses and commercial property owners in the St. Johns area within the Interstate Corridor TIF District. Grant funding may be used to implement TIF eligible projects that increase district vibrancy, enhance visibility and activation of the district, and support small business retention.

Who is this grant for?

The grant is for businesses and property owners within the St. Johns area of the Interstate Corridor TIF District, with priority given to projects that increase visibility and vibrancy of small businesses; activate areas and increase foot traffic; and support retention of small businesses through needed improvements.

Prosper Portland will distribute up to a total of $30,000 to businesses and commercial property owners in the St. Johns area within the Interstate Corridor TIF District. Grant funding may be used to implement TIF eligible projects that increase district vibrancy, enhance visibility and activation of the district, and support small business retention.

Applicants may apply for a grant of up to $5,000 for their project on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will open on April 13, 2026 and be reviewed on a rolling basis until 11:59 PM on May 1, 2026. Once an application is approved and a grant agreement executed, work must be completed within 6 months, and reimbursement would be provided following project completion and reporting. Prosper Portland may directly pay a contractor based on demonstrated financial need of the grantee.

  • April 2026

    13

    Applications open

  • May 2026

    1

    Applications close

Eligibility Map

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Frequently Asked Questions

The grant is for businesses and property owners within the St. Johns area of the Interstate Corridor TIF District, with a priority of projects that increase visibility and vibrancy of small businesses; activate areas and increase foot traffic; and support retention of small businesses through needed improvements.

The grant may be used for physical improvement (hard costs) to support for-profit related business and property-related improvements associated with commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and market-rate housing projects.

Hard costs include signage, lighting, storefront, or mechanical systems, tenant improvements, roofs, parking lots, landscaping or other permanent fixtures.

The following uses are not eligible to receive Grant funding given funding restrictions and Grant purpose:

  • Non-permanent fixtures, personal property and equipment, government uses within publicly owned buildings
  • National franchises
  • Locally owned franchises with more than three locations
  • Businesses that exclude minors during all business hours
  • Work completed prior to a grant agreement being executed

An eligible property:

  1. Is located within the St. Johns portion of the Interstate Corridor TIF District in the City of Portland;
  2.  Is zoned for commercial/mixed use, employment, industrial or multi-dwelling; and
  3. Has all financial obligations related to the property paid current, including taxes and debt payments.

  1. The business location must not be delinquent in the payment of real property or personal property taxes. Check your Multnomah County taxes.
  2. Applicants must not have started construction on the project for which they are seeking funding. The grant will not cover retroactive reimbursements for costs incurred or completed prior to the execution of the grant agreement.
  3. Applicants must have the ability to complete a project within 6 months (Prosper Portland may provide flexibility on a case-by-case basis)
  4. If applicants are not the property owner, they must have a lease with at least 2 years remaining and obtain the approval of the property owner to perform the project.
  5. Businesses must have a City of Portland business license and State of Oregon business registry.
  6. Applicants must use a licensed contractor with a CCB# to complete your project.
  7. Any work that requires a permit must be fully researched, filed and included with grant documents upon approval of application and submittal of bids.
  8. Awardees must complete, sign, and submit a W-9 and ACH form prior to execution of the grant agreement.
  9. Grantees must retain records related to the project and use of grant funds, and may be audited.
  10. Grantees must comply with the reporting requirements set forth in the grant agreement, including submission of supporting documentation for incurred costs.
  11. Grantees with an existing Prosper Portland loan or grant must be in compliance with all terms, reporting, and any other programmatic or contractual requirements.

 

Solicitud de subvención para pequeños negocios en el área de St. Johns

La subvención es para negocios y dueños de propiedades en el área de St. Johns del Distrito TIF de Interstate Corridor, y se dará prioridad a los proyectos que aumenten la visibilidad y la vitalidad de los pequeños negocios; que activen las áreas y aumenten el comercio pasajero; y que apoyen la permanencia de los pequeños negocios mediante mejoras necesarias.

Trabajos elegibles

La subvención puede usarse para mejoras físicas (costos directos) destinadas a apoyar mejoras para negocios con fines de lucro y para propiedades asociadas con proyectos de vivienda a precio de mercado, comerciales, industriales y de uso mixto. (Los costos directos incluyen señalización, iluminación, escaparates o sistemas mecánicos, mejoras para inquilinos, techos, estacionamientos, paisajismo u otras instalaciones permanentes.)

Inelegibilidad:
Los siguientes usos no son elegibles para recibir fondos de la subvención debido a las restricciones de financiamiento y el propósito de la subvención:

  • Instalaciones no permanentes, bienes muebles y equipo de uso personal, usos gubernamentales en edificios públicos
  • Franquicias nacionales
  • Franquicias de propietarios locales que tienen más de tres sucursales
  • Negocios que no permiten el acceso a menores de edad durante todo el horario comercial
  • Trabajos realizados antes de la ejecución de un acuerdo de subvención.

Elegibilidad:

  1. La propiedad debe estar ubicada en la parte de St. Johns del Distrito TIF de Interstate Corridor en la ciudad de Portland;
  2. La propiedad debe estar en una zona clasificada como industrial, de viviendas multifamiliares, empleo, o para uso comercial/mixto;
  3. Todas las obligaciones financieras relacionadas con la propiedad deben estar al día, incluidos impuestos y pagos de deudas. Consulte su situación fiscal aquí; y
  4. Los negocios deben tener una licencia comercial de la ciudad de Portland y estar registrados en el Registro de negocios del estado de Oregon.

  • Abril de 2026

    13

    El plazo de solicitudes se abre

  • Mayo de 2026

    1

    El plazo de solicitudes se cierra

El mapa de elegibilidad

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Let's get started

Applying is easy. If you have any questions, please contact Roger Gonzalez at gonzalezr@prosperportland.us