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Small Business Grants

These Small Business Grants, administered by WorkForce Central in collaboration with community partners and stakeholders, aim to strengthen and build up the local economy, grow local talent, and create local jobs in Pierce County.

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An asian female small business owner stands proudly behind the counter of her business.

Eligible Projects

Wage Reimbursement – Young Adults

The Wage Reimbursement – Young Adults grant helps Pierce County businesses hire and train young adult workers by reimbursing eligible wages during the first few months of employment.

This program is designed to help businesses say “yes” more often to job seekers who may have limited or no prior work experience. By offsetting wage costs, the grant reduces the financial risk of hiring and training new talent while helping young adults build the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

Eligible businesses may receive up to $4,000 in wage reimbursement for a newly hired Pierce County young adult employee, ages 16–24, during the first 3 to 5 months of employment.

Employers may choose the hourly wage rate paid to the young adult employee. However, reimbursement through this grant is calculated at a rate of $17.13 per hour. If an employer pays the young adult more than $17.13 per hour, the employer is responsible for any wage amount above the reimbursable rate.

This support allows employers to provide meaningful on-the-job training while expanding business capacity and creating career-building opportunities for young adults in Pierce County.

Both the business and employee must meet eligibility requirements.

Grant Process

Eligible businesses submit a digital application through the WorkForce Central website.

The applicant identifies the business need, hiring opportunity, and purpose of the funding request.

Applications are reviewed for alignment with program goals, potential impact, feasibility, and available funding.

Selected applicants receive notice of grant approval.

WorkForce Central and the business finalize an agreement outlining the wage reimbursement parameters, reporting requirements, and next steps.

New employees may be asked to complete an application to verify their employment with the business.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, the business must:

Be located in Pierce County.
Have an active business license.
Have recently hired or plan to hire a Pierce County young adult.
Provide meaningful on-the-job work experience in a safe working environment.
Hire the employee as a W-2 employee.
Intend to retain the employee after the wage reimbursement period ends.

Applications may be screened for multiple funding streams to help WorkForce Central determine the most appropriate program for each business opportunity.

To be eligible, the employee must:

Be legally entitled to work in the United States.
Be a Pierce County resident.
Be between the ages of 16 and 24 prior to hiring.
Be hired between May 1, 2026, and July 15, 2026.
Be hired as a W-2 employee.

Reporting Requirements

WorkForce Central may require businesses to report on program outcomes, including employee training, work experience provided, retention progress, and business impact. Required reporting may include a short narrative and budget documentation comparing planned expenses to actual costs.

Apply

Are you a Pierce County business interested in a Small Business Grant or Young Adult Wage Reimbursement opportunity? Complete the application below to tell us about your business, hiring needs, and workforce development goals.

Apply for a Small Business Grant