Please start by completing our Eligibility Intake Form. Your answers will help us determine whether your business meets the basic eligibility requirements before you proceed to the full application. Be prepared to submit:

• Basic Business Information (i.e., business owner details, location, application contact, basic operational details, etc.)
• Confirm if and when you received a Catalyst Fund grant in the past
• Confirm tax compliance

The Department of Commerce will automatically unlock the full application within the Catalyst portal if your business is deemed eligible based on your responses from the Eligibility Intake Form. You’ll need to complete a full application by submitting documentation, including:

• Business Income & Receipts Tax (BIRT) Account Number
• Two-year financial projections of the P&L.
• Actual Revenue, profit, debt payments, and employee count for the most recent two years of operation
• Growth Plan Essay

The Philadelphia Small Business Catalyst Fund is a highly competitive and selective grant process, and we evaluate applicants to identify those businesses most poised for growth. Once identified as such, your application then goes before a steering committee composed of Department of Commerce experts and external stakeholders for final decision in accordance with Philadelphia’s small business goals and objectives.

• Applicants should hear back within four to six weeks from the time of applying.
• Common denials are due to the business not clearing its review from the Department of Revenue because of delinquent tax issues, or not having a strategic growth plan supported by metrics-driven investments tied to increased profits.

Applicants will have full access to check and see the status of their application. This can be done by logging into your portal account and viewing the status bar, which indicates where your application is within the review process.  Applicants will receive an automatically generated email notification once the following status updates are made to their application:

• Approved – applications will be connected with our partners at PA CDFI for payment disbursement and business consultation.
• Denied – applicants are highly encouraged to meet with PA CDFI and apply in 12-months for future consideration
• Action Needed – There is an issue that needs to be addressed before the application can move forward for final review.

Its duration and potential for expansion will depend on demand, impact, and future funding opportunities as part of our ongoing commitment to economic growth across the city.

Yes, you are welcome to reapply to the Catalyst Fund if:

• You did not receive a grant the first time you applied. You need to wait 12 months before you can apply for review again. It’s highly encouraged to take advantage of the technical assistance provided by our community partners at PA CDFI. Please complete their Small Business Referral Form.
• You received a grant of up to $25,000. You need to wait six months before you can apply again.
• You received a grant of more than $25,000. You need to wait 12 months before you can apply again.

We’ll complete a thorough review and analysis of each application. Our review process will assess:

• The clarity and strength of your growth plan
• The expected long-term impact on Philadelphia’s economy if your business is successful
• How well your business aligns with our strategic goals

A team of internal and external partners will evaluate each application using a computer-based assessment tool and human review to select the businesses that best meet these criteria.

No. The Catalyst Fund does not have a minimum credit score requirement. We want to support entrepreneurs who may have trouble accessing credit.

The following groups are not eligible for funding:

• Nonprofit organizations
• Churches and other religious institutions
• Businesses that primarily engage in political or lobbying activities
• Businesses that engage in any activity that is illegal under federal, state, or local law
• Businesses that are in active tax default and not on an approved payment plan
• Financial institutions that primarily engage in the business of lending, such as banks, finance companies, and factors
• Passive real estate companies and investors who file a Schedule E (Form 1040) for their personal tax returns
• Real estate businesses that receive the majority (>51%) of their income from rentals
• Life insurance companies
• Private clubs and businesses that limit the number of memberships they give out for reasons other than building capacity
• Recent awardees within under six months
• Any owner is currently delinquent or, within the last seven years, has defaulted on a direct or guaranteed loan from the City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, or a federal agency
• Any owner controlling 20% or more of the business’s equity:
  • Is currently incarcerated, on probation, or on parole
  • Is currently subject to an indictment, arraignment, or other formal criminal charges in any jurisdiction
  • Has been convicted of any felony within the last year
  • Has been convicted of a felony involving fraud, bribery, embezzlement, or a false statement in an application for a loan or federal financial assistance within the last five years
• An owner is engaged in any illegal, socially undesirable, or predatory activities, including but not limited to:
  • pawnshops
  • rent-to-own
  • check-cashing businesses, and
  • adult bookstores

Every business can be connected to our additional set of resources and programs. Contact the Mayor’s Business Action Team within the Department of Commerce by emailing business@phila.gov or calling (215) 683-2100 for personalized guidance.

No. You are eligible if you have a physical business location in Philadelphia.

Yes. You are eligible if you have a physical business location in Philadelphia, as demonstrated by a business address. If you use a P.O. Box and virtual address for your business, you must provide your home address in the application.

Yes. You are eligible if you have a physical business location in Philadelphia, as demonstrated by a business address. If you use a P.O. Box and virtual address for your business, you must provide your home address in the application.

Yes. You are eligible if you have a physical business location in Philadelphia, as demonstrated by a business address. If you use a P.O. Box and virtual address for your business, you must provide your home address in the application.

Yes, you can apply to the Catalyst Fund.

This grant is designed to support most capital and operating expenses that directly contribute to long-term business growth.

Capital expenses may include:

• Purchasing or upgrading tools, machinery, or technology
• Upgrading physical locations to increase production capacity
• Capital equipment and infrastructure upgrades
• Technology investments that expand operational capacity
• Facility improvements tied to expansion

Eligible operating expenses must be clearly aligned with your business growth strategy. These should be productive investments that lead to measurable business outcomes. That can include:

• Advertising to increase visibility
• Purchasing inventory to support expansion

You cannot use this funding for expenses including, but not limited to:

• Routine operating costs, such as rent, payroll, past-due bills, or debt payments
• Real estate acquisition

The maximum grant amount is $50,000 per eligible business. Your grant amount is determined by your prior year total revenue (from today’s date) and your current strategic growth plan based on metric-driven goals.

If your prior year revenue was:

• Less than $50,000, you can be considered for a $10,000 grant
• $50,001 to $100,000, you can be considered for a grant up to $25,000
• $100,001 to $2,000,000, you can be considered for a grant up to $50,000

Once your business receives funding, you become part of the Philadelphia Small Business Catalyst Fund support network. In addition to accessing a broad array of City resources, the Philadelphia Department of Commerce is partnering with the Pennsylvania CDFI Network that will provide awarded businesses with support through their CDFI partners and/or third-party providers and consultants. You will have access to this support over a period of five years after receiving funding.

We will evaluate the fund’s success using indicators like:

• Revenue growth
• Job creation
• Business expansion
• Overall economic impact

We will track these metrics over time and use the data to refine and improve the program. This will help us ensure that it remains effective and responsive to the evolving needs of Philadelphia’s small business community.

The City of Philadelphia is committed to inclusive economic growth by offering financial support programs, business services, and funding community-based organizations to provide advisory services to entrepreneurs across the city.

Our Mayor’s Business Action Team also provides personalized assistance in multiple languages to entrepreneurs for all aspects of doing business in Philadelphia. Contact the Department of Commerce by calling (215) 683-2100 or emailing business@phila.gov.