How Small Businesses Can Apply for the R4R Mitigation Grant

Small businesses can now apply for $5,000 to strengthen their operations against disasters through the Readiness for Resiliency (R4R) Mitigation Grant program. During a recent webinar, Rob Glenn, vice president of global resilience, and Des Alexander, manager of disaster resilience, discussed the new R4R Mitigation Grant and the opportunity it provides to small businesses across the country. 

The Context: Small Business Risk and Community Resilience

Small businesses make up 99% of all U.S. companies (33 million nationwide), making them critical to the functioning of communities. Small business resilience affects community resilience. When businesses can stay open after a disruption, workers, customers, suppliers, and the community all win.  

Disaster risk is everywhere. Flooding, wildfire, and seismic hazards threaten small businesses across the country, and disasters have increased in cost and severity over the past 20 years. Local chambers of commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation are here to help businesses understand their risks and take practical steps to prepare before a disruption occurs. 

The Research: Exposing the "Preparedness Gap"

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s R4R program, founded with support from FedEx, is designed to increase small businesses’ investment in preparedness. With more than 6,600 registered businesses, the program provides preparedness tools through the R4R checklist and gives small businesses eligibility for a $5,000 grant if a disaster is declared in their area.

In survey data collected earlier this year by the U.S. Chamber Foundation, a massive disconnect between business owners' confidence and their actual readiness was revealed:

• Confidence Doesn’t Match Capability: 94% of surveyed business owners felt confident they would recover if a disaster hit. 
• Lack of Planning: Despite this high confidence, only about 33% actually had a disaster plan in place. 
• The Reality of Recovery: 45% of small businesses surveyed had experienced a disaster. Of those, 70% said it took them at least three months to recover. 
• Top Concerns Identified: Small businesses cited power continuity, connectivity (loss of internet), and the inability to communicate with customers as their top disaster concerns, along with prolonged power outages and equipment loss due to flooding. 

The Solution: Assist Businesses Before and After Disasters

The original R4R program provided quick cash after a disaster. Listening to business feedback, the U.S. Chamber Foundation asked: "What if we could provide businesses with $5,000 to help reduce their risk before a disaster occurred?"

Supported by Verizon, the newR4RMitigation Grantpairs free educational training with $5,000 for a disaster risk reduction project. The five eligible project categories target issues directly identified by small businesses as top concerns: 

• Power Continuity: Creating secondary power supplies to keep operations running (e.g., purchasing a generator). In the previously mentioned survey, power outages were cited as the top concern among small businesses.  
• Communications Redundancy: Establishing backup systems to communicate with employees, customers, and suppliers. Loss of internet and communications were also top concerns cited by small businesses.  
• Flood and Water Intrusion: Waterproofing and drainage improvements. Flooding is the most common natural hazard in the United States. This winter’santicipated "super El Niño," means many areas will likely see higher-than-normal water levels over the next six months. 
• Physical and Structural Hardening: Storm shutters, seismic retrofitting, or wildfire mitigation. 
• Critical Equipment Protection: Elevating or securing inventory, business records, and crucial supplies.

Businesses that apply for the R4R Mitigation Grant are also registered for R4R recovery support if a qualifying disaster affects their community. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

• What businesses are eligible? Small businesses with ≤500 employees and an EIN, excluding nonprofits, that meet all program criteria. 
• Must I complete a course? Yes. Complete an eligible Disaster Resilience course on Verizon’s Digital Ready before applying. 
• How can I use grant funds? Use funds only for your proposed disaster mitigation project, within program Terms and Conditions. 

Strategic Advice for Applicants

Consider the following best practices when developing a competitive application: 

• $5,000: The grant is exactly $5,000. Projects that only cost $400 will not be competitive. If a business needs $10,000, the grant can "meet them halfway," but applicants must make a strong business case regardless of the estimated project cost. 
• Tell the Community Story: A strong application should clearly articulate the business's role in the community and how the mitigation project ensures they can continue serving that community. 
• Address the Risk: Explain the specific risk facing your business, how it could affect operations, and why the proposed mitigation measure is a practical way to reduce those impacts within your chosen project category. Verizon’s Digital Ready courses can help you understand these risks and identify appropriate mitigation measures. Only one eligible course is required, and only one category will be funded. 
• Leverage AI: Business owners are welcome to use AI tools to help them draft and build out their business plans/proposals for the grant application. 
• Be Ready for Business: Use the project as a starting point to understand your risks, plan for disruptions, and help employees know what to do to keep the business operating. 

Next Steps

The R4R Mitigation Grant application is open until Sunday, November 15, at 11:59 p.m. EST. To apply, small businesses must take the following steps:

1. Complete just one of two eligible disaster resilience courses on Verizon’s Digital Ready platform. 
2. After completing the course, the small business identifies the hazard that threatens operations and proposes a project that directly reduces the risk.
3. If selected, the small business completes the approved project and documents the investment by April 30, 2027.

For partners and stakeholders who want to share the opportunity with their networks, they are encouraged to: 

1. Share the grant opportunity with your members, stakeholders, or county contacts.
2. Distribute our outreach toolkit, which includes a program summary, ready-to-use email copy, and social posts.
3. Use this referral tracking link so we can measure the network’s collective impact.