Report on the See Near Me Small Business Grant Contest and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Executive Summary

On August 4, 2025, the organization See Near Me announced the launch of its Bi-Annual Small Business Grant Contest. This initiative is designed to provide financial support to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the United States, with a significant focus on promoting inclusive economic growth and reducing systemic inequalities. The contest’s structure and objectives demonstrate a strong alignment with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Initiative Overview

The grant contest was introduced by See Near Me founder, Dexter Bayack, who stated that the program aims to empower diverse entrepreneurs with financial resources to foster innovation and resilience within local economies. The initiative provides micro-grants to businesses based on customer ratings gathered through the See Near Me platform, thereby linking financial awards to service quality and community engagement.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The contest’s framework makes a direct contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The primary areas of impact include:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: By providing capital to small businesses, the grant directly supports the creation of productive employment and decent work. Small and medium-sized enterprises are critical engines for sustainable economic growth, and this initiative helps them overcome financial barriers to thrive and expand.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The contest is explicitly structured to reduce inequality by targeting financial support toward historically marginalized groups. By designating specific award categories for entrepreneurs based on gender, disability, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, the program actively works to empower these communities and promote their full economic participation.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: A dedicated award for a top-rated Women-Owned Business directly addresses SDG 5. This provision supports the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by enhancing their access to economic resources and opportunities.

Grant Program Details

Eligibility and Award Categories

Participation is open to any U.S.-based small business, creator, or entrepreneur with an active business page on the See Near Me platform. The contest allocates funds across several categories to ensure equitable support, reflecting its commitment to SDG 10. The awards are structured as follows:

• Top-rated Disabled-Owned Business: $2,500
• Top-rated LGBTQ-Owned Business: $2,500
• Top-rated Minority-Owned Businesses: $2,500
• Top-rated Women-Owned Business: $2,500
• Top-rated Veteran-Owned Business: $2,500
• Top-rated Other Business: $2,500

Application Process

To be considered for the grant, applicants must complete the following steps:

1. List their business on the See Near Me platform.
2. Integrate their unique See Near Me profile link into their social media channels.
3. Actively promote their business page to encourage customer engagement and ratings.

Key Dates

The contest submission period concludes on December 31, 2025. The grant recipients will be officially announced on January 31, 2026.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article on the “See Near Me” Bi-Annual Small Business Grant Contest connects to several Sustainable Development Goals by focusing on economic empowerment, support for small enterprises, and inclusivity.

   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

     The core purpose of the grant is to support “small businesses, creators, and entrepreneurs,” which is fundamental to fostering sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. The article states the goal is to support the “economic health of our communities” and provide businesses with “financial resources they need to thrive and innovate.”

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality

     This goal is directly addressed through the specific award category for “Top-rated Women-Owned Business.” By providing a dedicated grant, the initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs and support their full participation in economic life.

   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

     The contest actively works to reduce inequalities by empowering entrepreneurs from marginalized or underrepresented groups. The article explicitly mentions award categories for “Disabled-Owned Business,” “LGBTQ-Owned Business,” and “Minority-Owned Businesses,” demonstrating a clear commitment to the economic inclusion of diverse populations.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   The article’s content aligns with several specific targets within the identified SDGs.

   • Target 8.3 (under SDG 8)

     “Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.”

     The grant contest is a direct implementation of this target. It is a program designed to support “entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation” within “small businesses” by providing them with “access to financial services” in the form of a $2,500 grant.

   • Target 5.a (under SDG 5)

     “Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.”

     The grant for a “Top-rated Women-Owned Business” directly provides women with access to “financial services” and “economic resources,” helping to level the playing field and support their business ownership.

   • Target 10.2 (under SDG 10)

     “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.”

     The contest’s structure, with specific awards for businesses owned by persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and minorities, is a clear effort to “empower and promote the… economic… inclusion of all,” irrespective of their status, as mentioned in the target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article implies several clear indicators that can be used to measure the program’s contribution to the identified targets.

   • Indicators for Target 8.3

     The article implies progress can be measured by the number of small businesses and entrepreneurs receiving financial support through the contest. It also specifies the total value of financial resources disbursed, which is $2,500 per award category.

   • Indicators for Target 5.a

     A direct indicator is the number of women-owned businesses receiving financial grants. According to the article, at least one women-owned business will receive a $2,500 grant per contest cycle.

   • Indicators for Target 10.2

     Progress can be measured by the proportion of financial resources allocated to businesses owned by specific groups. The article provides clear indicators: the number of businesses owned by persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and minorities that receive financial support (one from each category per contest cycle).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.	Number of small businesses receiving financial grants. Total value of financial resources ($2,500 per award) provided to support entrepreneurship and innovation.
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to… financial services…	Number of women-owned businesses receiving financial support (at least one per contest).
   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… disability, race… or other status.	Number of businesses owned by persons with disabilities receiving grants. Number of businesses owned by LGBTQ individuals receiving grants. Number of businesses owned by minorities receiving grants.

Source: finance.yahoo.com