The 2025 L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant Program, administered by the LIA Foundation Inc., is designed to support small businesses in Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York. L.O.C.A.L. stands for "Lifting Our Community Business Across Long Island." The program aims to provide financial support to help small businesses expand, enhance their local communities, and improve their operational stability. The grant is open to eligible businesses that meet specific criteria and commit to utilizing the funds for community or business development.

To be eligible, applicants must be legally recognized business entities in New York, including corporations, LLCs, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and not-for-profit organizations. Additionally, the business must have a physical address in Nassau or Suffolk counties, with some exceptions for home-based businesses that provide community services or operate in specific industries like childcare, agriculture, and food trucks. Businesses must have 10 or fewer full-time employees and demonstrate how the funding will be used to improve their business and community. Prior recipients of the 2024 L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant are ineligible for the standard $5,000 grant but may apply for the Grand Prize.

The application process requires electronic submission through the Long Island Association’s website. Applications must be submitted by March 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. No paper or email applications will be accepted. If applicants encounter technical issues, they may contact foundation@longislandassociation.org. There is no cost to apply. Applications must include all required supporting documentation, including a business logo, a two-minute video, a headshot of the primary contact, and a photo of the business. Applicants must also acknowledge compliance with federal, state, and local laws.

Grant awards consist of two funding tiers: a $5,000 grant for business growth and community development and a $25,000 Grand Prize for businesses that have faced extreme financial hardship. Applicants for the Grand Prize must provide additional supporting documents, such as evidence of financial struggles or physical damages to their business. All grant recipients are required to utilize the awarded funds by the end of 2025 and submit a report detailing how the funds were used. The grants are awarded via check made payable to the business.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee chosen by the LIA Foundation. The review process may involve multiple rounds, and applicants may be required to submit additional information or participate in virtual interviews. Background checks will also be conducted for selected applicants. The final selection of grant recipients will be announced at an awards ceremony on June 18, 2025, at Optimum’s headquarters in Bethpage, New York. Grand Prize winners will be announced later in the summer of 2025.

Recipients of the grant will also receive a complimentary membership to the Long Island Association (LIA). All new applicants, except those who applied or received funding in 2024, will receive a six-month membership, while grant recipients will receive a one-year membership. The membership provides networking and business development opportunities. Applicants must comply with all grant requirements, including promotional participation, and are responsible for any tax obligations related to the funding.