FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 24, 2025

SBS ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF FIRST-EVER NYC NIGHTLIFE GRANTS

Grants Will Provide Total of $350,000 to Nonprofit Organizations to Promote Neighborhood Development, Nightlife Economy

NEW YORK – Today, New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Dynishal Gross and Office of Nightlife (ONL) Executive Director Jeff Garcia announced the recipients of the first-ever NYC Nightlife Grant, which will provide awards of up to $40,000 to nonprofit organizations that will implement projects to strengthen the resiliency, equity, and vitality of New York City's nightlife industry and commercial corridors. Administered through SBS's Neighborhood 360° initiative, this grant program builds on SBS's proven track record of neighborhood investment, which totals more than $47 million to organizations promoting small business and commercial corridor revitalization efforts since the start of the Adams administration.

"New York City's legendary nightlife industry is a cultural and economic engine that generates more than $35 billion annually for our city while attracting tourists and talent from around the world," said SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross. "Ensuring that our neighborhoods and commercial corridors are safe, clean, and livable is key to the continued success of not just our clubs, bars, and restaurants, but of New York City as a whole. The NYC Nightlife Grant program will help New York City remain the global capital of nightlife. Congratulations to our first-ever round of grant recipients – the party is just getting started!"

"The New York City Office of Nightlife is proud to award the first-ever NYC Nightlife Grants to nonprofits whose initiatives support safer, more inclusive, and sustainable nightlife businesses and communities," said ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia. "We are excited to see these ideas come to life across the city, helping New York City remain the world's nightlife capital."

Recipients must complete their projects by June 30, 2026, and engage nightlife businesses and industry organizations to develop relationships, foster partnerships, and build capacity that extends beyond the grant term. Project goals include promoting local nightlife businesses; strengthening workforce development and industry capacity; fostering safe, inclusive, and sustainable nightlife districts; and preserving New York City's unique nightlife culture.

Expected project outcomes include:

• Operational improvements that enhance venues' resilience and sustainability
• Increased foot traffic and revenue gains for businesses
• Improved employee retention strategies through targeted training and recruitment initiatives
• Improved safety and inclusivity through harm reduction initiatives
• Increased cultural visibility and recognition for the nightlife industry

Nightlife in New York City is a powerful economic anchor supporting more than 300,000 jobs, generating over $35 billion in economic activity, and welcoming more than 6,000 new nightlife businesses since the pandemic, according to ONL reporting. Growth has been especially strong in the outer boroughs, reflecting renewed investment and vitality across all five boroughs.

The inaugural round of NYC Nightlife Grants will go to the following organizations:

• Alice Austen House, North Shore, Staten Island
• Anti-Violence Project, Jackson Heights, Queens
• Caribbean Equality Project, Richmond Hill, Queens
• Future Meets Present, Bushwick, Brooklyn
• Harlem Late Night Jazz, Harlem, Manhattan
• Nightlife United, Ridgewood, Queens
• OutSmartNYC, Sunset Park, Brooklyn
• Pratt Center, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan
• Queer Nightlife Community Center, Brownsville, Brooklyn
• RedMoon Arts Movement, Mott Haven, Bronx
• Sound Mind, DUMBO, Brooklyn
• The Bunker New York, Red Hook, Brooklyn

SBS Commissioner Gross and ONL Executive Director Garcia made the announcement at an event hosted by a grant recipient, the Queer Nightlife Community Center. Photos from the event are below, and more are available upon request.

ONL Deputy Director Jose Soegaard (left) and ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (right) address grantees. Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia prepares to read the list of grantees. Photo credit: NYC SBS

SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross listens to ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia announce the list of grantees. Photo credit: NYC SBS

SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross addresses grantees. Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (left) and SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross (right). Photo credit: NYC SBS

Attendees and grantees gather for a photo. Photo credit: NYC SBS

Attendees and grantees gather for a photo. Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Deputy Director Jose Soegaard (left), Harlem Late Night Jazz Artistic Director C. Kelly Wright (center), and ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (right). Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Deputy Director Jose Soegaard (left), Nightlife United President Varghese Chacko (center), and ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (right). Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Deputy Director Jose Soegaard (left), OutSmartNYC Prevention Coordinator Eric McGriff (center), and ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (right). Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Deputy Director Jose Soegaard (left), Pratt Center Senior Planner Tara Duvivier (center), and ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (right). Photo credit: NYC SBS

ONL Deputy Director Jose Soegaard (left), Queer Nightlife Community Center Executive Director Michael Falco-Felderman (center), and ONL Executive Director Jeff Garcia (right). Photo credit: NYC SBS

"This NYC Nightlife Grant is a powerful statement of the SBS's support for the industry," said Varghese Chacko, President, Nightlife United. "As a grant awardee, Nightlife United is eager to deploy these funds to grow our Workforce Development program. Upskilling the next generation of Nightlife leaders from under recognized communities will lead to a more vibrant and equitable industry."

"OutSmartNYC is honored to be a part of the first cohort of grantees for the New York City Office of Nightlife," said Eric McGriff, Prevention Coordinator, OutSmartNYC. "This funding is going to help us provide training and support that create safer nightlife spaces where we can all have the best possible night out! Thank you so much for your support!"

"Nightlife is a key part of the city's music culture and a lifeline for Black and brown, queer, and other marginalized communities in New York," said Tara Duvivier, Senior Planner, Pratt Center. "By mapping and archiving historic spaces in New York's music history, we can use this data to advocate for policy that protects these spaces so all New Yorkers can continue to enjoy them for years to come. Pratt Center is thankful for the support of the Office of Nightlife and Small Business Services as we continue to engage communities throughout New York City for a just, equitable, and sustainable future."

"We are so grateful for this support and the leadership the Office of Nightlife and the Department of Small Business Services," said Michael Falco-Felderman, Executive Director, Queer Nightlife Community Center. "This grant comes at a critical time in our organization's development and helps us deliver essential support to nightlife workers and the surrounding community, so they can have healthy, sustained careers in the city's defining industry."

About the Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information, visit nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About the NYC Office of Nightlife (ONL)
ONL is an office within SBS that serves as a non-enforcement liaison between city agencies and the nightlife industry, serving its community of business owners, workers, performers, patrons and residents in New York City's bars, nightclubs, performance venues, and restaurants with programs and direct one-on-one support. For more information on ONL initiatives, go to nyc.gov/nightlife, follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.