Lifting up Small Businesses in Celina - 8/1/25
Celina Chamber of Commerce and Optimum are partnering to offer improvement grants through the "Lifting up Small Businesses" Program. The goal is to connect small businesses with financial resources to help them grow and expand, which will also contribute to the revitalization of the community.
- Twenty-five Celina small businesses will be selected to receive a grant of $5,000 each.
- Businesses must have 25 or fewer full-time employees.
- Applications are scheduled to open on September 8, 2025, with a deadline of October 10, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Grant announcements are planned for December 2025.
- To be eligible, a business must have a physical location in an area served by both Optimum and the Celina Chamber.
- Examples of how the grant money can be used include new signage, marketing plans, website creation, new landscaping, interior remodeling, or hiring a business consultant like an accountant.
- Applicants must demonstrate in their application how the funding will both help their business expand and improve the community where they operate.
- Award recipients who are not already members of the Celina Chamber must be a member before receiving the funding.
- The business must agree to be included in marketing and social media materials when the project is completed to illustrate the success of the program.
- The form is below. (Form has been removed on October 10, 2025.)
Congratulations to our winners! - 1/6/26
The Celina Chamber of Commerce proudly congratulates this year’s Optimum Small Business Grant recipients. These businesses represent the innovation, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that continue to drive Celina’s local economy forward.
- Annie Jack
- Apricot Lane
- Atomic T-Shirts
- C3 Aesthetics
- Cielo Beauty Bar
- Celina Heritage Museum
- Celina Star Café
- Donkey Equine Haven
- Helping Hands of Celina
- Hemphill Orthodontics
- Heyday
- Kolache Shoppe
- Lucy’s on the Square
- Terramania
- Tender Smokehouse
- The God’s Foods
- The Nook
- The Twisted Trail
- The Wick
- Toasted Walnut
- True Light Chiropractic
- Turbo Metabolic Training
- Valley Vines
- William Williams Rare Jewels
- Willow House Boutique
Grant recipients were selected through a competitive review process conducted by an independent evaluation committee composed of Brad Kearney (City of Celina), Andy Buffington (Celina EDC) and Corbett Howard (Lamar Bank) from outside the Chamber organization.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the independent committee members for their time, expertise, and thoughtful consideration in evaluating each application.
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