City of Asheville Searching For Partner To Facilitate Small Business Grants For Post-Helene Recovery
Last week, the City of Asheville announced that the Community and Economic Development (CED) team released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Small Business Support Program. The program provides funding for organizations assisting small businesses impacted by Helene, and the City is looking for organization and non-profit partners to administer the small business grant program. Applicants to the NOFO, if approved, would be awarded funds to administer to small businesses affected by Hurricane Helene.
Program Overview
The NOFO allows for an award up to $15.5 million in federal CDBG-DR funds within the $17 million Small Business Support Program. The $15,500,000 in available funding is calculated by removing a 3% mitigation set-aside, as well as costs associated with administering the program by the City of Asheville and its contractors.
Funds will be distributed to qualified subrecipients, who will provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses that were directly or indirectly impacted by Tropical Storm Helene. The Program is designed to restore and revitalize Asheville’s small business sector, which serves as a foundational pillar of the economy. The minimum award amount for subrecipients is $250,000. The maximum award amount for subrecipients is $10,000,000.
Access the full NOFO and Small Business Support Program Manual at the Small Business Support Program web page.
Application Process and Timeline
The program application and award process will follow these key dates:
NOFO Release and Advertisement: Friday, October 31, 2025
Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference: Monday, November 10, 2025
Deadline for Notice of Intent: Friday, November 14, 2025 – 5:00 p.m.
Notice of Intent must be submitted by email to CDBG-DR@ashevillenc.gov.
Deadline for Submission of Questions: Friday, November 14, 2025 – 5:00 p.m.
Questions must be submitted by email to CDBG-DR@ashevillenc.gov.
Responses to Questions: Anticipated Friday, November 21, 2025.
The City will release an addendum to the NOFO containing all compiled questions and responses.
Proposal Submission Deadline: Tuesday, December 02, 2025 – 5:00 p.m.
Proposals must be submitted by email to CDBG-DR@ashevillenc.gov.
Announcement of Awards: on/about Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Application Requirements
Proposals, at a minimum, must include the following information:
Applicant and organization details
Project title and detailed description of eligible activities
Project timeline and budget
Performance targets including number of businesses assisted and jobs created or retained
Qualifications and experience of proposed staff
Systems for tracking and documentation of outcomes
Eligible subrecipients and businesses must comply with all federal regulations and program-specific eligibility requirements. For additional guidance on application submission, please refer to the NOFO.
Contact Information
To submit a Notice of Intent, Questions, and Proposals, please email CDBG-DR@ashevillenc.gov.
About the City of Asheville’s CDBG-DR Program
On January 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $225,010,000 in CDBG-DR funds for the City of Asheville’s recovery from Tropical Storm Helene. CDBG-DR is a federal disaster recovery program that provides funding to communities affected by major disasters. These funds must be used to address unmet disaster-related needs, particularly in housing, economic revitalization, and infrastructure restorations.
