Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Have A Business Need? NJBAC Can Help.

The NJBAC is offering no-cost technical assistance, training, and problem-solving – we are here to support all of your Business Enhancement needs. Whether you have a one-off resource question, are looking for a strategic assessment of a district, or could use some quick visualized tactical inspiration to foster visible and tangible change, NJBAC can help. Contact NJBAC Assistant Director Jef Buehler to start the conversation and move towards action.

Today’s email has information on assistance we can provide, as well as about technical and financial resources that may be a fit for your community or district. Please feel free to share this information with other officials, district management stakeholders, and businesses. To see all prior Business Enhancement Connection emails, click here!

Best Practices

NJ Complete Streets Policy Update: Looking to complete your streets (sidewalks, paths, etc.)? The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced the adoption of the 2024 Complete Streets Policy update in December. The Complete Streets concept is composed of approaches to planning, designing, and operating roadways and rights-of-way with all road users in mind, making the transportation network safer and more efficient.  Here is the updated policy, along with the updated checklist and Complete Streets Handbook.

Municipalities Make Bold Innovation Happen: The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation recently published the Path to Public Innovation Playbook—a practical, example-rich guide for municipal leaders at any stage of their innovation journey. Here's a closer look at key practices that have emerged or evolved in recent years—and how local leaders can put them into action: Path to Public Innovation Playbook.

Commercial Cannabis Training is Happening in NJ: NJBAC’s no-cost Cannabis Training Academy has been up and running since October 2024 and already has nearly 1,000 registered participants. If you are a municipal official or resident who wants to understand the facts about cannabis business in NJ, you can access the first 3 levels for free. And current or potential commercial cannabis businesses or entrepreneurs can do the entire 10-level training series which will support their efforts to obtain the needed licenses to start operations at no cost. Register here!

Reprise With Working Link - Milburn’s Winter Villages Program: Looking for a local example that does district activation in the winter months? Check out the Winter Villages program run by Explore Millburn/Short Hills:  Winter Villages Images. These events in December 2024 leveraged their highly successful Town Hall Plaza program that started in the Summer of 2024.  Their Instagram page has numerous photos of Town Hall Plaza in action as well as from the Winter Villages events.

Featured Grants & Support

Last-Minute Community Garden Grant Opportunity:  Approximately $1 million in funding is available from the People’s Garden Initiative through USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, in partnership with The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) 2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. The program will fund projects that support community-based gardens  promoting sustainable agriculture practices that benefit people and wildlife. Applications will be accepted until January 30, 2025.  Local gardens can also join this free network for technical assistance and signage as well. Take a look at the initiative brochure!

The 1^st Quarter 2025 T-Mobile Hometown Grant program is open now through March 31:  Communities with populations of 50,000 or less, can apply for this great program provides grants of up to $50,000 to up to 25 small towns. Apply for funding to support a community project of your choice, like revitalizing or repurposing a historic structure, creating a downtown asset or destination, or improving a space where friends and neighbors gather. Projects that add to a sense of place or could lead to further investment are of particular interest  Join over 350 communities across 48 states and one U.S. territory that have benefited from more than $15 million in funding since 2021. From enhancing public tech infrastructure to creating new recreational trails and restoring historic landmarks, these grants are transforming communities like yours. If you have not yet received this quarterly grant, do consider applying!

Join the NJ Black Heritage Trail:  The New Jersey Department of State invites all New Jerseyans to join the State in celebrating Black history. Signed into law by Governor Murphy on September 7, 2022, the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail legislation calls for the New Jersey Historical Commission to establish a Black Heritage Trail that will “highlight Black heritage sites through historical markers and a trail-like path that connects the stories of Black life and resiliency.” In order to nominate a site for this third cycle of the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail, applicants must first submit a letter of intent (LOI) to NJBlackHeritageTrail@sos.nj.gov by March 14, 2025. This LOI is a preliminary one-page letter that outlines the intention to apply for the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail program. It should contain the proposed site name, a brief description of the nomination, and the nomination's contact information (Name, organization address, email, and contact phone number). Additionally, it should include the proposed marker location address.

Cultural & Arts Facilities Expansion Grants: The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) approved the Cultural and Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) Program, which will help bolster New Jersey’s arts sector by supporting the development and rehabilitation of cultural arts facilities, such as performing arts centers and museums.  The CAFE Program will provide tax credits through a competitive process to cultural arts institutions to build or renovate facilities, including aquariums, historical societies, libraries, galleries, museums, performing arts centers, or other eligible cultural or arts facilities.  Eligible awardees receive tax credits covering 100 percent of eligible project costs, up to $75 million. Applications for the first round of the CAFE Program are expected to open in Spring 2025. For more information and a complete list of eligibility requirements, click here for CAFE. NOTE: This webpage will be updated as the application round kick-off approaches. 

Grants for Historic Houses of Worship: The National Fund for Sacred Places is offering grants up to $500,000 to community-serving historic houses of worship in America.  Review the program details and application workshop deck, and then see if you are eligible here for eligibility.  Apply by March 3^rd.  Grants require a 1:1 match (or better!) and winners will be notified in October 2025.

NJBAC Can Work With All the Businesses in Your Community

We are here to support your communities’ and districts’ businesses. NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any business in NJ – any size, any location, and any type. Businesses can always download the NJBAC Small Business Manual – a one-stop tool for many business concerns – online here for english. A Spanish version of the manual is also available here for spanish. Individual businesses or organizations can order a printed copy as well by clicking this link. For bulk orders of up to 10 printed copies, please contact NJBAC’s Tracy Thomas directly.

Our NJBAC team can advocate for businesses, concierge them to funding and technical solutions, help them find locations for growth or developing export markets, guide them to navigating the commercial cannabis sector, and much more. Want to set something up online or on-site for your businesses? Reach out to NJBAC Assistant Director Jef Buehler to get plugged in to all of our business success services.

NJBAC’s Business Enhancement Services is online:  Now you can refer to Business Enhancement Services directly online with just a click!  Please favorite the website – it will be expanding over time as we add new resources and tools that support municipal and district revitalization and place-based business enhancement.