Verizon offers grant opportunities totaling $500,000 to assist undeserved businesses

Verizon has announced a new $500,000 grant funding opportunity for small businesses, now available through its Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program. To give underserved small businesses the tools they need to expand and thrive in the modern digital economy, Next Street and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) teamed up to produce the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready online resource. 

When small company owners sign up on the site, they get free, customized access to more than 40 online courses, peer networking events, one-on-one expert coaching, and industry expert mentorship opportunities. They also get incentives like the chance to apply for grant money. According to a poll of platform-registered small company owners, 99% of participants said that taking Small Business Digital Ready courses benefited their businesses. 

Furthermore, small businesses can access the application for this round of grant funding from October 12 through December 20, 2023, by first registering on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal and completing at least two of the following, in any combination: coaching, courses, or community events. Small companies who fill out the application will have their chances of winning a $10,000 award taken into account.

Verizon’s Digital Ready recently underwent a redesign and an update with new content, such as articles, audio clips, and short-form videos, to provide users with a more personalized experience. Small business owners may now quickly find the resources and tools that best fit their needs.

With the help of this program, Verizon aims to help one million small firms by 2030 and provide them with the tools they need to prosper in the digital economy as part of its responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon. To learn more about the company’s initiatives to conduct business responsibly, visit CitizenVerizon.com.

“Since the launch of Verizon Small Business Digital Ready in 2021, we have assisted more than 200,000 small business owners across the country,” stated Rose Stuckey Kirk, Verizon’s Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer. Kirk continues, “We take great pride in utilizing our network of experts, along with our tools and resources, to support small businesses in their endeavors to thrive and, in the end, improve their local communities.”