Build Tamarac 2026: Micro Grant and Tenant Improvement Money While Citywide Ops Funds Last

Most Broward owners treat incentive money as a CRA-polygon problem. In Tamarac, that habit is expensive. Build Tamarac and the city’s live Grants & Incentives desk put two reimbursement tools in front of for-profit shops citywide—the Small Business Micro Grant for recent operating costs, and the Tenant Improvement / Interior Buildout Grant for new or relocating commercial buildouts—while 2025–2027 allocations last. There is no CRA map gate on these two tracks. There is a clock, a paperwork standard, and a first-come line.

This owner map is Tamarac-only. Peer desks that already live on the Gazette—Hallandale Beach CRA FY2025–26 incentives, Coral Springs EDI, Margate MCRA PIP, and the CareerSource Broward employer training money map—are light-linked for process literacy, not for pasted dollar ceilings. Hallandale’s façade ladder, Coral Springs’ exterior/demo/fee tracks, Margate’s arterial PIP math, and CareerSource employer training money do not transfer onto a Tamarac folio.

Canonical sources re-verified live for this package:

1. Build Tamarac — Micro Grant + Tenant Improvement overview, Kenneth Lopez desk
2. Grants & Incentives — program pages, apply buttons, guideline downloads
3. Small Business Micro Grant Guidelines v2 (PDF) — controlling SBMG dollars and rules
4. Tenant Improvement / Interior Buildout Grant Guidelines (PDF) — controlling TI dollars and rules
5. Apply: Micro Grant form · Tenant Improvement form
6. Desk: Kenneth.Lopez@tamarac.gov · (954) 597-3513 · 7525 NW 88th Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321

Hard process rule before anything else: read the full guideline PDF for the track you want, confirm Broward County and Tamarac Business Tax Receipt status, assemble itemized invoices and proof of payment (Micro) or scope/budget/estimates (TI), then apply online. Submission is not an award. Funding is limited.

Citywide ops money—not a CRA corridor tax

Build Tamarac is how the Office of Economic Development and Redevelopment framed the stack for owners who showed up for the event—and for everyone who missed it and still has to run a shop. The Micro Grant is written for for-profit businesses already physically located in Tamarac that need reimbursement for eligible expenses already paid. The Tenant Improvement track is written for for-profit businesses opening, relocating, or expanding into Tamarac commercial space that need reimbursement for eligible interior buildout after City Commission approval and a signed grant agreement.

That split matters more than the event branding. Micro money looks backward at a 120-day receipt window. TI money looks forward at a permitted buildout that cannot start until the agreement is executed. Mixing those timelines—buying TI-eligible drywall on a Micro receipt theory, or waiting for Commission approval before you even gather Micro invoices—is how owners burn both doors.

Neither program is a CRA-only façade ladder. Peer CRAs elsewhere in Broward still matter for owners with second locations or supplier relationships, and CareerSource Broward remains the workforce twin when the real constraint is training reimbursement rather than inventory or buildout. Keep those tabs open. Do not paste their caps into a Tamarac application.

Micro Grant: who clears and what the 120-day receipts buy

The controlling SBMG guidelines set two reimbursement ceilings: up to $10,000 for Tamarac resident-owned businesses and up to $5,000 for non-resident-owned businesses. Resident-owned means at least 51% owned by a current Tamarac resident, with proof. The applicant must hold at least 51% ownership interest—or bring signed authorization from the other owners—before staff will treat the file as complete.

Eligibility is a checklist, not a vibe. The business must be for-profit and physically located in Tamarac; in good standing with the city, Broward County, and the state; free of outstanding code violations, unpaid fines, or municipal liens; Active on Sunbiz; holding current Tamarac and Broward County Business Tax Receipts; at or under $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue; and employing 20 or fewer full-time employees. Federal business taxes for the current or previous year are required unless the shop has operated less than one year—in which case the guidelines allow a complete business plan or proof of a recognized entrepreneurship / small-business bootcamp in place of tax filings. Nonprofits, religious institutions, adult entertainment, cannabis/CBD, gambling, massage parlors, country clubs and golf courses, and businesses primarily selling alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or controlled substances for off-premises consumption are out.

Reimbursement applies only to approved eligible expenses incurred and paid within 120 days prior to the application submission date. Expenses must be paid in full before you apply, backed by itemized invoices and proof of payment, purchased new from a legitimate verifiable vendor, and not sourced from peer-to-peer marketplaces or private sellers. The published eligible list covers inventory and operational supplies; business equipment (including POS, computers, industry tools, and software—with software/subscriptions capped at four months, annual plans prorated); business phone and internet in the business name at the Tamarac location (also capped at four months); commercial base rent for commercial locations only (no CAM, deposits, utilities, late fees, or related-party rent; home-based shops cannot claim rent); marketing and advertising including signage, one-time website development or major redesign, digital ads, print, and professional branding; commercial security systems (monitoring subscriptions up to four months); commercial liability insurance (up to four months, annual policies prorated); and professional services such as accounting, legal, branding, and consulting for home-based applicants under the home-based eligible set.

Home-based businesses can apply, but only for the narrower eligible set—equipment, technology, inventory, limited software, marketing, and professional services. Residential rent or mortgage, utilities, home renovations, residential security, sheds, and outdoor structures are not reimbursable. Across all applicants, payroll, vehicles, renovations/construction, travel, taxes owed, gift cards, crypto, cash payments, and used or secondhand gear are hard noes.

The program runs 2025 through 2027, or until allocated funds are exhausted, on a first-come, first-served basis. Incomplete files missing up to three documents get a short cure window—up to three business days by email—then denial if the gap remains. Missing more than three documents can end the file without a cure. Denial is not a lifetime ban; reapplication is treated as a new submission in the order received. Awarded businesses must wait 12 months before reapplying. Broward County Micro Grant Pilot recipients are not barred from the Tamarac Micro Grant solely because of that other award—confirm stacking questions with staff, not with a rumor.

Tenant Improvement: new and relocating buildouts, not a refresh for shops already here

The controlling Tenant Improvement guidelines state reimbursement of up to $100,000 per approved project, available through July 30, 2027, or until program funds are exhausted. Separately, applicants may request reimbursement of up to 25% of one month’s base commercial rent when that request is identified in the original application and supported by the lease. Final reimbursement cannot exceed the lesser of the City Commission–approved award or verified eligible expenses. There are no advances and no progress payments.

Who it is for is as important as the ceiling. The business must be for-profit, own or lease eligible commercial space in Tamarac, and be establishing a new operation in Tamarac or relocating or expanding to Tamarac from another jurisdiction. The proposed use must be able to clear permits, licenses, and inspections. Existing Tamarac businesses seeking improvements at their current location are not eligible. Home-based, nonprofit, adult entertainment, liquor stores, smoke/vape shops, payday/pawn/check-cashing, religious institutions, private clubs, cannabis-related, government offices, mobile/temporary/kiosk/pop-up, and residential or live-work uses are also out.

The majority of the project must be interior buildout and physical improvements. Furniture, fixtures, and equipment may ride as a secondary component; projects that are primarily movable décor or FF&E alone are not eligible. Published eligible categories include electrical, plumbing, HVAC, lighting, ADA work, signage and awnings, flooring, drywall/walls/partitions, windows and doors, masonry, ceilings, carpentry/built-ins, life-safety systems, bathrooms, secondary FF&E, and the optional commercial-rent slice above. Expenses must fall in an approved category, sit inside the approved scope and budget, be incurred after execution of the grant agreement, clear permitting where required, and be backed by invoices, receipts, and proof of payment. New purchases only—no secondhand or peer-to-peer buys.

Process is Commission-gated. Complete applications go to the Grant Review Committee, then to the City Commission. Commission approval sets scope, budget, and maximum award. After approval, the applicant and city execute a grant agreement before any reimbursable work or purchases begin. Construction must begin within 90 days of agreement execution; the project must be completed within 12 months (extensions possible when warranted). Reimbursement is requested only after the approved project is complete, permits are closed and inspections passed, the city has issued the business license authorizing the business to open and operate, and the reimbursement packet is in. That reimbursement request must land within 90 days of the license date. Funded businesses must then remain in continuous operation at the approved location for at least six months from that license date—no sale, transfer, or relocation during that window without risking repayment.

One more corridor rule owners miss: no more than three Tenant Improvement / Interior Buildout Grants may be awarded within the same commercial plaza during a grant cycle (two years or until funds are exhausted). Check the city’s TI project map before you assume your plaza still has room.

If a Build Tamarac flyer or overview page shows a different interior-improvement figure than the full guidelines PDF, treat the PDF as controlling for planning and confirm the award ceiling with Economic Development before you sign a contractor based on a bullet list. The live Grants & Incentives page and the TI guidelines both publish the $100,000 project ceiling; confirm any conflicting marketing language with Kenneth.Lopez@tamarac.gov or (954) 597-3513 before you lock a bid.

Apply online, keep the packet clean, move while funds last

Order of operations that protects reimbursement:

1. Decide Micro vs. TI—or whether you need both on different timelines (Micro on recent paid ops costs; TI only if you are new/relocating/expanding into a commercial buildout).
2. Download and read the full guideline PDF for that track.
3. Confirm Sunbiz Active status, Broward County BTR, and Tamarac BTR (or BTR application in process for TI, with the receipt issued before disbursement).
4. For Micro: pull itemized invoices and proof of payment for expenses paid in the last 120 days; scrub peer-to-peer and used purchases out of the packet.
5. For TI: assemble project description, itemized scope, budget, contractor estimates, current-condition photos, floor plan/sketch, lease or ownership proof, landlord authorization if needed, and the rent request if you want the 25% one-month base-rent slice.
6. Apply online through the live Micro or TI form linked from Grants & Incentives (and routed from TamaracEDO.com branding on city materials).
7. For TI only: wait for Commission approval and a signed grant agreement before spending a reimbursable dollar; calendar the 90-day start, 12-month completion, 90-day reimbursement, and six-month operating hold.
8. Keep every receipt. Micro is a receipt sport. TI is a scope-and-inspection sport.

A clean call script for (954) 597-3513 or Kenneth.Lopez@tamarac.gov: legal business name; Tamarac address; owner residency (for Micro ceiling); Broward + Tamarac BTR status; FTE count and roughly whether revenue is under $1M; Micro vs. TI; whether work or purchases have already started; and, for TI, whether the plaza already has active TI awards.

Success on this map is not downloading every Broward CRA PDF and hoping the largest number sticks. Success is matching a citywide Tamarac shop to the right door—Micro for the last 120 days of eligible ops spend, TI for a Commission-approved new or relocating buildout up to the published project ceiling—then moving while first-come funds remain through 2027.

Sources: City of Tamarac Build Tamarac page; Grants & Incentives hub; Small Business Micro Grant Guidelines v2 PDF; Tenant Improvement / Interior Buildout Grant Guidelines PDF; live Micro and TI application forms (all re-verified live for this package).

Key Facts for Owners and Search

• Programs: Tamarac Small Business Micro Grant (SBMG) and Tenant Improvement / Interior Buildout Grant (TIIBG) — citywide for-profit tools under Build Tamarac / Office of Economic Development; not CRA-polygon-only. Hubs: Build Tamarac · Grants & Incentives.
• Verified Micro dollars (SBMG guidelines PDF): up to $10,000 resident-owned (51%+ Tamarac resident) / up to $5,000 non-resident; reimbursement for eligible expenses paid within 120 days before apply; FCFS 2025–2027 or funds exhausted; 12-month wait to reapply after award.
• Micro who: for-profit in Tamarac; Broward + Tamarac BTR; Sunbiz Active; ≤$1M gross revenue; ≤20 FTE; 51%+ applicant ownership; no outstanding code/fines/liens. Home-based eligible with restricted expense list.
• Micro eligible spend (high level): inventory/supplies; equipment; commercial base rent (commercial locations); marketing/ads; commercial security; commercial liability insurance; professional services; limited phone/internet—new purchases from verifiable vendors only; no peer-to-peer / used.
• Verified TI dollars (TI guidelines PDF): up to $100,000 per approved project through July 30, 2027 or funds exhausted; optional up to 25% of one month’s base commercial rent; reimbursement only after completion, closed permits, and business license; confirm any conflicting marketing bullets with staff before bidding.
• TI who: for-profit new / relocating / expanding into Tamarac commercial space; existing Tamarac businesses at current location ineligible; max three TI awards per commercial plaza per grant cycle.
• TI process gates: Grant Review Committee → City Commission approval → grant agreement before reimbursable spend; start within 90 days; complete within 12 months; reimbursement request within 90 days of license; six-month continuous operation hold.
• Apply: Micro Grant form · TI form · Guidelines PDFs: SBMG · TI.
• Desk: Kenneth.Lopez@tamarac.gov · (954) 597-3513 · 7525 NW 88th Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321.
• Peer light-links (different cities/PDFs): Hallandale CRA incentives · Coral Springs EDI · Margate MCRA PIP · CareerSource Broward employer training.