Please review all application guidelines, eligibility criteria and program restrictions before applying.
Application Guidelines
- Applications are accepted semiannually.
- The next application period will open Monday, January 5, 2026 at 8 a.m. and close on Friday, January 23, 2026 at 9 p.m.
- Once the application period closes, the DDA oversight committee will review all complete applications and notify awardees of their status following the Decatur DDA’s final review and approval (approximately one month).
- Only correctly completed applications will be accepted for review. To submit a complete application, please ensure all attachments are included as PDF or JPEG (e.g., Certificate of Organization, Business License, Proof of Utility/Address, Itemized Expenses). See an example of a complete application here.
- You will need the following information to complete this application:
- Applicant Social Security Number
- Legal Business Name
- Doing Business As (if applicable)
- Decatur Business License No.
- Proof of business location (if different than business license, e.g. lease or utility bill)
- Federal Employee ID Number
- State Withholding Tax Number
- State Sales Tax Number
- Certificate of Organization
- Total Project Amount
- Requested Grant Amount (cannot exceed 75% of total project cost)
- Total Amount Applicant Will Incur (Total Amount Applicant Will Incur = Total Project Amount - Total Grant Request Amount)
- Project Description
- Project Coordinator
- Project Contractor (if applicable)
- Contractor license
- Plans, specs, and proposals
- Itemized quote**** (each expense must be clearly listed, see example)
- Projected start and finish dates (must begin within six (6) months and complete within 12 months)
- Business and applicant history:
- Bankruptcy or insolvency
- Outstanding judgments, tax liens, or lawsuits
- Mortgage or rent delinquency
- Household connections to City of Decatur staff, boards, or commissions
Applicant Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants must be a licensed City of Decatur business or commercial property owner who meet the following criteria:
- The business or commercial property must be located in the City of Decatur.
- The business or commercial property owner has paid all appropriate taxes, fees, and other assessments, including property taxes, business license fees, occupation taxes, and ad valorem taxes.
- No outstanding judgments against the business or commercial property (owner).
- No current bankruptcy proceedings are instituted by or against the business or property owner, and no current assignments are made by the business or commercial property for the benefit of creditors.
- No state or federal tax liens are pending against the business or the commercial property.
- Financial ability to commit matching grants
- Eligibility includes small businesses that operate no more than three stores in Georgia and employ 25 or fewer people to further qualify under these criteria:
- Retail and restaurant: Annual receipts do not exceed $3.5 million
- Personal and professional services: Annual receipts do not exceed $3.5 million
- Not-for-profit organizations are not eligible for these grant programs
- For CFIG and CBIG program applicants in the process of obtaining a new City of Decatur Business License for brick-and-mortar operations, a business license is required by the time of project completion before any grant awards can be remitted.
- MDCG program applicants must hold an active City of Decatur Business License for at least six (6) months prior to the submission of their grant application.
- Applicant must not have received an award for the same grant within the last two (2) years. (For example, if an applicant received a Commercial Facade Improvement Grant award in Spring 2024, they are not eligible to reapply for the Commercial Facade Improvement Grant until Spring 2026).
Qualifying Project Criteria
- Project feasibility: The project must be realistic and based on market conditions.
- Project compliance: The project must meet local codes and design standards, including treating historic building materials and securing necessary permits. Facade or interior improvements in excess of $1,000 may require a City of Decatur Building Permit. Please contact permittech [at] decaturga.com (permittech[at]decaturga[dot]com) to inquire if your project requires a permit.
- Project scope: The project must improve the physical space of the property to the benefit of the current tenant as well as future tenants. If the project will only benefit the current tenant, the existing business/grant recipient must remain open in the location for at least two years from receipt of grant funds. In the event an applicant closes or sells their business before two years, the applicant must pay back funds to the Decatur Development Authority at a prorated amount based upon the difference in the date of closure or sale from 24 months. Projects for general maintenance are not eligible.
- Eligible projects must not begin prior to signing a grant award agreement.
- Taxes are not an eligible expense item.
Program Restrictions
- Applicants are responsible for a minimum 25% of the total approved project cost and may request a grant up to 75% of the total approved project cost (Example: An applicant with an approved CFIG project of $10,000 may request a grant to cover up to $7,500 of approved itemized expenses)
- Applicants who fail to enter into a grant award agreement with the Decatur DDA within 30 days of the official “DDA Grant Award Letter” will forfeit their award and may lose eligibility to apply for any small business commercial grant program for one year.
- Awardees who fail to utilize their grants within the period of their grant terms may lose eligibility to apply for any small business commercial grant program for one year.
- Approved projects must begin within six (6) months and complete within 12 months of grant approval. If necessary, grantees may request one 6-month extension to complete CFIG and CBIG projects, consistent with the City of Decatur’s permitting process.
- Grants are remitted as a reimbursement via wire transfer once all work has been completed and reviewed for compliance to the grant terms.
Grant Review Committee
The Development Authority appoints a Grant Review Committee comprising:
- Two representatives from the DDA board
- One representative from the Historic Preservation Commission
- The Business Development Manager for the City of Decatur
- The Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Decatur
The Grant Review Committee establishes qualifying criteria and standards for grant applicants, requirements for applications and documentation submissions, and recommendations to the DDA board for final action on grant applications.
It also establishes oversight and ongoing submission obligations for each grantee. The committee meets semiannually to review grant application requests.
Applications
The next application period will open Monday, January 5, 2026 at 8 a.m. and close on Friday, January 23, 2026 at 9 p.m.
Applications are accepted online only through the following links. Applicants can save and review applications before final submission.