North Carolina Awards Nearly $8.5 Million In Grants To Strengthen Small Businesses Across Western North Carolina
Last week, the State of North Carolina announced nearly $8.5 million in new infrastructure grants to support small business recovery across western North Carolina. The funding supports 13 projects through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program (SmBIZ), helping coordinate the response to Helene.
“These projects reflect careful coordination with local officials who identified their most pressing infrastructure needs,” said Reginald Speight, Assistant Secretary for Rural Economic Development at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “Strategic public investment at this stage of recovery helps protect jobs, preserve downtown districts, and position communities for long-term resilience.”
The projects focused on restoring and improving public infrastructure systems that support small business – including water and sewer lines, stormwater controls, utility relocation, and downtown streetscape repairs. With this announcement, the program has awarded nearly $30 million to support small business recovery from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina since November 2025.
The SmBIZ program was created with the support of a $55 million appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly. The program provides grants of up to $1 million to local governments to address infrastructure damage that directly affects small business districts and economic corridors.
Here are the projects funded in the third round of grants.
Ashe County
Town of Lansing – $979,759 to restore and rehabilitate infrastructure supporting the Lansing Business District.
Town of West Jefferson – $780,456 to rehabilitate sewer lines serving the downtown commercial area.
Town of West Jefferson – $177,037 to repair infrastructure damage impacting local businesses.
Town of West Jefferson – $370,407 to implement supplemental infrastructure improvements to strengthen downtown stability.
Caldwell County
City of Lenoir – $500,000 to complete infrastructure upgrades in the Steele Cotton Mill area that support nearby commercial operations.
Jackson County
Town of Dillsboro – $478,875 to restore historic Front Street infrastructure and improve stormwater management systems.
Town of Sylva – $952,760 to repair and enhance downtown stormwater and utility infrastructure.
Mitchell County
Town of Bakersville – $1,000,000 to implement infrastructure improvements that increase service reliability for downtown businesses.
Town of Bakersville – $1,000,000 to repair and replace critical infrastructure damaged by flooding.
Town of Bakersville – $160,000 to repair and construct steel-reinforced concrete retaining walls damaged by flooding.
Town of Bakersville – $80,000 to install targeted infrastructure upgrades supporting public safety and business continuity.
Town of Spruce Pine – $1,000,000 to bury approximately 1,300 feet of infrastructure to improve reliability and reduce disruption risks.
Town of Spruce Pine – $1,000,000 to bury approximately 2,200 feet of infrastructure to strengthen long-term system durability.
