NJEDA Small Business Lease Grant
New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)
2 × 20% of annual lease
Researched for this program: 6 rejection traps · 5 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
NJ commercial lease grant
The NJEDA Small Business Lease Grant helps New Jersey small businesses, nonprofits, and incubator operators offset the cost of leasing or expanding street-level commercial space. The grant equals 20% of the annual lease payment, paid in two installments: the first after the grant agreement is executed, and a second matching 20% after twelve months of lease payments and compliance. To qualify, the applicant must enter a new or amended market-rate lease with a minimum five-year term for 250–10,000 square feet that includes first-floor (street-level) space, meet the SBA small-business definition, and certify it will pay wages of at least $15/hour or 120% of the state minimum wage. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis while limited funding lasts.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- 2 × 20% of annual lease
- Realistic amount
- The dollar amount scales with the lease: 40% of one year's rent paid across two installments. For example, a $30,000/year lease yields two $6,000 payments ($12,000 total). Larger street-level leases (up to the 10,000 sq ft incentivized cap) yield proportionally larger grants.
- Deadline
- Closed — funding fully subscribed; NJEDA is no longer accepting new applications
- Status
- closed
- States
- New Jersey
- Payment model
- lump-sum
Who qualifies
- Must meet the SBA definition of a small business (by employee count and NAICS), or be a nonprofit or operator of an incubator
- Must enter a new or amended lease with a minimum 5-year term (not including options), executed within 12 months prior to application
- Leased space must be between 250 and 10,000 square feet and include first-floor (street-level) space
- Lease must be market-rate based on commercial real-estate information
- Lease payments may only include leased square footage (equipment cannot be included)
- Applicant must certify it will pay wages that are the greater of $15/hour or 120% of the state minimum wage for the 5-year grant term
- Must be legally registered and operating in New Jersey and provide a current tax clearance certificate prior to approval
- Most cannabis license/certification holders are prohibited from receiving NJEDA incentives
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Annual commercial lease payments for the leased square footage (street-level space)
Ineligible expenses
- Equipment included within the lease (only square footage counts)
- Square footage above the 10,000 sq ft incentivized cap
- Non-lease business expenses
How to apply
-
1
Confirm lease and business eligibility
Verify the lease is 5+ years, market-rate, 250-10,000 sq ft including street-level space, executed within the last 12 months, and that the business meets the SBA small-business definition and the $15/120% wage commitment.
~2 hrs
-
2
Gather documentation
Assemble the executed lease, proof of NJ registration, tax clearance certificate, and commercial real-estate evidence that the lease is market-rate.
~4 hrs
-
3
Apply through the NJEDA portal
Submit the application via the NJEDA programs portal (programs.njeda.com) on a rolling basis while funding lasts.
~2 hrs
-
4
Execute the grant agreement and receive payments
After approval, pay the $100 fee, execute the grant agreement, and receive the first 20% payment. The second 20% follows after 12 months of lease payments and confirmed compliance.
~2 hrs
Timing is the trap: the lease must already be executed and within the last 12 months when you apply, so don't wait — apply right after signing. Also confirm your lease is documented as market-rate (NJEDA checks against commercial real-estate data) and that it clearly includes first-floor/street-level space, since those two facts disqualify more applicants than anything else.
Deadline & timing
NJEDA is presently accepting applications on a rolling basis, but available funding is limited and submission does not guarantee approval. The lease must have been executed within 12 months prior to the application date. A $100 application fee is due after approval, before grant agreement execution.
Not accepting applications right now — get one email when it reopens
GrantCompass tracks NJEDA Small Business Lease Grant’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll tell you the day the next window opens.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
Programs that stack well
Related programs
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on November 1, 2026 — all 170 open grant programs · filter the database.
Explore more funding
Last updated October 19, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.