DENVER — Small businesses, nonprofits and business improvement districts in Denver are getting a boost from a city grant program aimed at renovating urban areas of the city.
The Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) created the Community Investment Department in 2022 to focus on neighborhoods that have historically lacked investment.
In late 2024, DURA launched the Community Stabilization Tool Assisting Neighborhood Development (STAND) Grant to help organizations and small businesses fill funding gaps for projects that preserve neighborhood fabric.
“It also is a flag for communities to actually take a stand and say, ‘Hey, this is my neighborhood, and I’m staying in it, and we’re going to make it great,” said April Simmons, DURA’s director of Community Investment. “There are certain areas that may have deteriorated over time, and we use our urban renewal areas to support continuing development.”
Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000.
Simmons said DURA will run two funding rounds in 2026, each with $500,000 available for a total of $1 million for the year. Eligible applicants include small businesses with under $2 million in gross revenue, nonprofits with $5 million or less, and business improvement districts. Applicants must submit at least one letter of support from the community, and projects should be ready to complete within a year.
Moonflower Coffee, a neighborhood café on West Colfax that began as a pop-up cart in 2023, is one early beneficiary from DURA’s pilot grant program in 2024. Owner Sam Soloman said the grant helped cover unexpected startup costs such as the repair of the sidewalk outside her business. It also paid for specialty coffee equipment that was critical to opening a permanent shop.
“We like to think of it as the neighborhood living room where everybody comes to just hang out,” Saloman said. “The grant was instrumental in getting us to the starting line.”
DURA has used Community STAND grants to fund a range of needs from HVAC and furniture and equipment improvements, to murals and even real estate purchases.
Applications for the next round of Community STAND grants are due March 6. Grant recipients will be announced in April and awards typically follow about 30 days later. Interested applicants can apply through the DURA website here.
