1909 West Palm Beach: Member Grant, Stages and Fees

By Brian D’Antoni

Updated Oct. 4, 2026

As of Sunday, Oct. 4, the application window for 1909’s member Business Grant is closed. 1909 posted that applications ran through Sept. 25, and the Business Grant Application form now reads “This typeform is now closed.”

Outcome: 1909 has said the recipient will be announced live on stage at its Winter on the Water Gala, listed on 1909gala.com for Dec. 5, 2026 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter. As of Oct. 4, 1909’s pages do not name a recipient or announce another application window; for next steps, see the SoFla Business Grants and Incentives Guide and the West Palm Beach CRA and DDA incentives map, then email hello@weare1909.org with questions about the next cycle.

On the second floor at 313 Datura Street in downtown West Palm Beach, the workday soundtrack is less “open office hum” and more founders talking shop between cold-brew pours, pitch language in a phone booth, a mentor office hour on the calendar, a Slack ping that actually gets answered. That is the operating picture 1909 sells on its homepage: not generic coworking, but a members-only founder club with workspace, education, mentorship, and community under one roof.

This guide was first published in mid-September 2026, ahead of a hard calendar line that sat mostly in 1909’s own channels. On August 17, 2026, 1909 posted on LinkedIn that its member Business Grant was open through September 25, for a minimum of $5,000 described as capital with “no strings attached” and “no reporting necessary,” with the recipient to be announced live at the Winter on the Water Gala. Membership was the gate. That window has now closed; what stays useful here is how the grant worked, how it differs from PROJECT-1909, and what membership at 1909 involves.

This brief is an owner map: who the grant was for, how the cash grant differs from PROJECT-1909, what Launch / Grow / Scale mean on the membership page, what the desks cost, which links to click, and what to confirm before you join 1909.

The September 25 window (what 1909 said)

Primary announcement source: 1909’s August 17 LinkedIn post, followed by a Sept. 16 reminder post that read “Applications close September 25.” Language from the August 17 post:

• Opportunity for 1909 members to receive a minimum of $5,000 toward the business they are building.
• Framed as no strings attached and no reporting necessary: capital to move an idea, project, or business forward.
• Recipient to be announced live on stage at that year’s Winter on the Water Gala, which 1909gala.com lists for Dec. 5, 2026 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter.
• Applications were open through September 25; the window is now closed.
• The apply link in the post led to a Typeform titled “Business Grant Application”: https://qvy3vys1msy.typeform.com/to/WCemqMix. Its intro screen read “1909 Business Grants (Members Only) - Apply Now for $5,000+.” As of Oct. 4 the form shows “This typeform is now closed.”

Sourcing note: the grant announcement was LinkedIn-first, not a standalone press release on weare1909.org, and the grant is not described on the 1909 site pages checked on Oct. 4. For results, a future application window or gala timing, email hello@weare1909.org.

Gala context (separate from the grant form): 1909’s site links to 1909gala.com for Winter on the Water, which lists Dec. 5, 2026 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter. Use that page for tickets, sponsorship and event details.

Who was eligible (and who was not)

From the LinkedIn post and the Typeform framing, the eligibility rule was blunt:

You had to be an active 1909 member to put a business forward for this grant.

The Typeform included a “1909 Membership Information” block asking for your current membership level and how long you had been a 1909 member. That was the membership gate in practice, not a public open call for any Palm Beach County LLC.

Who this is not:

• Not a city façade or CRA reimbursement program (those live on a different map: see the Gazette’s West Palm Beach CRA + DDA incentives package).
• Not the same as PROJECT-1909 talent-in-kind for downtown brick-and-mortar (covered below).
• Not an automatic award for joining the day before. The post addressed members, and the form asked how long you had been one. If another window is announced, ask 1909 in writing whether a newer membership would qualify.

Membership itself starts on the public site: Explore Membership and the application path / live member Typeform “2026 - Member Application” at https://qvy3vys1msy.typeform.com/to/ODRYlHac. 1909’s homepage states you can apply and get started within a week, with rates described as roughly 30% below market, marketing language from the org, not an independent Gazette audit of every comparable desk in downtown WPB.

Cash grant vs PROJECT-1909 (do not confuse the two)

Owners keep mixing these because both live under the 1909 brand and both use the word “grant.” They are not the same product.

PROJECT-1909’s own page is explicit: “This grant will not provide you with funding. It will provide you with the talent who will help complete a project you’ve been wanting to tackle…” and requires a brick-and-mortar business located in the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority District. Unsure on geography? Use the DDA’s district boundaries map and, for stacking downtown façade / merchant tools that are cash-or-reimbursement style, the Gazette’s CRA + DDA incentives map plus downtownwpb.com/work/incentives.

PROJECT-1909’s Typeform titles still read “2025 Project-1909 …” even though the program page is live in 2026. Confirm with hello@weare1909.org that those forms are the current cycle before you rely on acceptance timelines.

If your goal is cash in the business, the September 25 member Business Grant was the lane for 1909 members, and it is now closed; the cash and reimbursement tools on the Gazette’s West Palm Beach CRA + DDA incentives map are the next place to look. If your goal is a brand refresh, site build, or content project without writing a check for talent, and you sit inside the DDA footprint, PROJECT-1909 is the lane. Many downtown operators will want both maps open: file the form that matches the goal.

Launch / Grow / Scale: the stage map on the live membership page

1909’s membership page and homepage frame programming around where you are, not a single accelerator logo. Stage language on the membership page as of Oct. 4:

Launch (Stage 1) - Pre-revenue → $50K ARR. Twelve-week, cohort-based. Focus: shape the idea, validate the model, lay the foundation. Stated goal: validate the business, deeply understand the customer, and commit to selling something within the next 90 days.

Grow (Stage 2) - $50K → $250K ARR. Twelve-week, cohort-based. Focus: operations, team, marketing, and systems that turn traction into a real business. Goal: strengthen systems, deepen customer relationships, build capacity to scale sustainably.

Scale (Stage 3) - $250K → $1MM+ ARR. Not a workshop series, monthly peer-to-peer Scale Up Peer Pods. No curriculum decks; curated rooms of founders at similar altitude. Confidential, structured accountability.

1909 states that before you start, you meet with the Experience Team so placement matches company stage and founder experience. That matters for owners who would otherwise self-select into Scale because the word sounds flattering, ask for the placement call, do not force the label.

Applied Learning Workshops run 12 weeks, twice a year, with starts each February and August on the membership page. Live stamp on that page: “Next cohort begins Spring ‘27.” The registration control currently points at a Typeform titled “Fall ALW Registration Form” (https://qvy3vys1msy.typeform.com/fallalw). The page copy says Spring ’27 while the form title still says Fall, so confirm the next seat date with staff before planning around a fall 2026 cohort that may not exist.

Year-round membership programming listed on the same page (beyond the cohort) includes member socials, a run group, speaker series, partner networking, pitch competitions for selected members with no-strings-attached cash, financial power hours, monthly syncs, and Men of 1909 / Women of 1909 masterminds. Mentorship is described as built into membership via the member portal, Mentor Mixers, and monthly Mentor Office Hour calls; mentors can apply separately (mentor Typeform).

Membership pricing as of Oct. 4

Workspace is where the price differs; 1909 says every member gets the same community, programming, and mentorship access at the tier level. Live fees on weare1909.org/membership and the homepage:

Homepage amenities framing for the space: roughly 9,000 sq ft downtown WPB, fast WiFi, phone booths, conference rooms, gym, unlimited cold-brew, and a community described as 200+ founders. Address in site schema: 313 Datura Street, #200, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Contact: hello@weare1909.org. Member login lives at members.weare1909.org/login.

Scholarships are a separate path on the membership page: available for founders who qualify. Published qualification list requires that you (1) be an active 1909 member, or apply for membership upon approval, (2) be a founder of a business operating in Palm Beach County, FL, (3) own 50% or more of the business, (4) demonstrate real financial need, and (5) actively participate in 1909’s business education and resources. Scholarship apply link on the page: Google Form. Scholarship approval and Business Grant approval were separate decisions.

What the Business Grant application asked

LinkedIn described the award as no-strings capital, while the application was a full Typeform. The sections that appeared on the Business Grant Application in September included:

• Personal and company basics (name, phone, email, company, city; demographic questions).
• Business information: problem, solution, revenue model, time in business, employee count.
• 1909 membership level and tenure; whether you previously received a 1909 scholarship.
• A business plan block (problem/solution, target customer and opportunity size, differentiation, traction, 12-month growth plan, team/vision).
• A scholarship need-style block (revenue and personal income brackets), plus uploads for a 5-minute video and a detailed budget, and an open field for other context.
• Terms / agreement screens at the end.

“No reporting necessary” in the LinkedIn award description was not the same as “no diligence on the way in”: the form asked for a video and a detailed budget. If another window opens, expect to prepare both, and ask hello@weare1909.org about any field that seems unclear.

What to confirm before you join 1909

Joining a founder community mainly for a grant can cost a quarter’s rent and still miss the culture fit. With this window closed, use the checklist below to decide whether 1909 fits the business on its own merits, and get the answers in writing:

1. Membership status and any future grant. Are you already active, or still in the 2026 Member Application pipeline? Ask 1909 whether another Business Grant window is planned and what membership status it would require.
2. Desk economics. Resident is $199/mo, Dedicated $399/mo, Private Office $1,050+/mo. The member grant was a competition, and 1909’s posts described one recipient, so it is not a basis for budgeting. Price the months you will actually use the space, mentorship and cohorts.
3. Stage fit. Launch / Grow / Scale ARR bands are published. If you are pre-revenue, you are not “behind”, you are in Launch. If you need peer pods at Scale altitude, say so on the Experience Team call.
4. Cash vs. talent need. Downtown storefront that needs a brand/site rebuild inside the DDA? Open PROJECT-1909 in parallel. Do not plan a cash request around a scope that talent-in-kind already covers.
5. Stack with public incentives carefully. Façade, Beautify, Merchant Assistance, and CCTV paths are city/DDA tools with geography rules, map them in the Gazette’s WPB CRA + DDA incentives feature. 1909’s member grant was private/community capital with a membership gate; do not assume a future version stacks like a CRA reimbursement.
6. Gala and award logistics. 1909gala.com lists Winter on the Water for Dec. 5, 2026 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter. LinkedIn says the recipient is announced on stage; that post does not publish a full award agreement. Ask staff about results or attendance expectations.
7. Cohort timing. Next Applied Learning cohort is stamped Spring ‘27 on the membership page. If you need a fall 2026 workshop seat, confirm with staff before you join for programming that may not run until next spring.

Nearby owner pages worth keeping open while you decide: the SoFla Business Grants and Incentives Guide, the West Palm Beach CRA + DDA incentives map, and Boynton Beach’s small business grants, which are listed to open Oct. 15.

Owner close: next steps

If you are already a member: the Business Grant Application closed Sept. 25. Email hello@weare1909.org to ask whether results or another window will be announced, and keep a plan, a five-minute video and a budget ready for the next opportunity.

If you are not yet a member: start with membership and the 2026 Member Application, email hello@weare1909.org and ask whether a future Business Grant would be open to newer members, and price the desk against the programming you will actually use (Launch / Grow / Scale, mentorship, pitch nights, Winter on the Water).

If you are a downtown brick-and-mortar operator inside the DDA who needs execution help more than cash: use PROJECT-1909 (business form / talent form) and keep PROJECT-1909 and any member cash grant in separate lanes.

1909’s bet, stated in public copy, is that Palm Beach County founders do better with a room, a stage ladder, and occasional no-strings capital than with another empty WeWork clone. The Gazette’s job is narrower: keep the record of the September 25 member grant, the Launch / Grow / Scale map, the desk prices as of Oct. 4, and the PROJECT-1909 distinction on one page, with links that resolve, so you can decide like an owner, not like a scroll.

Key Facts for Owners and Search

Is the 1909 Member Business Grant still open? No. As of Oct. 4, 2026, the application window closed Sept. 25, 2026, and 1909’s Business Grant Application form reads “This typeform is now closed.” The grant offered active 1909 members a minimum of $5,000, described by 1909 as no strings attached.

Has the recipient been announced? Not on 1909’s pages as of Oct. 4. 1909 said the recipient will be announced live at the Winter on the Water Gala, which 1909gala.com lists for Dec. 5, 2026 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter. No next application window is posted; email hello@weare1909.org to ask.

Is PROJECT-1909 the same thing? No. PROJECT-1909 does not provide cash. It matches a brick-and-mortar business in the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority District with talent to complete a project, and its page lists business and talent applications.

What do Launch, Grow and Scale mean? 1909’s membership page defines Launch as pre-revenue to $50K ARR (twelve weeks), Grow as $50K to $250K ARR (twelve weeks), and Scale as $250K to $1MM+ ARR through monthly peer pods. Placement is set in a call with the Experience Team.

What does membership cost? As published on 1909’s membership page on Oct. 4: Resident $199 per month, Dedicated Desk $399 per month, and Private Office from $1,050 per month. The space is at 313 Datura Street, #200, West Palm Beach. Confirm current fees with 1909.

When is the next workshop cohort? The membership page says the next Applied Learning Workshop cohort begins Spring ’27, with workshops running twelve weeks twice a year (February and August starts). Its registration form is still titled Fall, so confirm the seat date with 1909 before planning around a fall cohort.

Where else can West Palm Beach owners look for grants? Start with the SoFla Business Grants and Incentives Guide and the West Palm Beach CRA + DDA incentives map.

Primary links to keep open: weare1909.org · Membership · Member application Typeform · Business Grant Typeform (closed) · Aug 17 LinkedIn announcement · Sept 16 LinkedIn reminder · PROJECT-1909 · hello@weare1909.org · 1909 Gala · SoFla Business Grants and Incentives Guide (Gazette) · WPB CRA/DDA incentives map (Gazette)

Key Facts for Owners and Search

Is the 1909 Member Business Grant still open? No. As of Oct. 4, 2026, the application window closed Sept. 25, 2026, and 1909’s Business Grant Application form reads “This typeform is now closed.” The grant offered active 1909 members a minimum of $5,000, described by 1909 as no strings attached.

Has the recipient been announced? Not on 1909’s pages as of Oct. 4. 1909 said the recipient will be announced live at the Winter on the Water Gala, which 1909gala.com lists for Dec. 5, 2026 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter. No next application window is posted; email hello@weare1909.org to ask.

Is PROJECT-1909 the same thing? No. PROJECT-1909 does not provide cash. It matches a brick-and-mortar business in the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority District with talent to complete a project, and its page lists business and talent applications.

What do Launch, Grow and Scale mean? 1909’s membership page defines Launch as pre-revenue to $50K ARR (twelve weeks), Grow as $50K to $250K ARR (twelve weeks), and Scale as $250K to $1MM+ ARR through monthly peer pods. Placement is set in a call with the Experience Team.

What does membership cost? As published on 1909’s membership page on Oct. 4: Resident $199 per month, Dedicated Desk $399 per month, and Private Office from $1,050 per month. The space is at 313 Datura Street, #200, West Palm Beach. Confirm current fees with 1909.

When is the next workshop cohort? The membership page says the next Applied Learning Workshop cohort begins Spring ’27, with workshops running twelve weeks twice a year (February and August starts). Its registration form is still titled Fall, so confirm the seat date with 1909 before planning around a fall cohort.

Where else can West Palm Beach owners look for grants? Start with the SoFla Business Grants and Incentives Guide and the West Palm Beach CRA + DDA incentives map.