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Restaurants, bars, and other hospitality small businesses can apply for reimbursement of up to 50% of the cost of purchasing an inactive liquor license, up to $100,000. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Small Business Liquor License Grant Program supports businesses that purchased an inactive Class C Plenary Retail Consumption License within the past 12 months.

To qualify, businesses must be open and operating for at least 12 months, meet SBA's definition of a small business, and have proof the license was previously inactive (verified by the NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control). Nonprofits are also eligible.

A $500 approval fee is required. Forty percent of funding is reserved for businesses in eligible Opportunity Zone census tracts. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for three years or until funds are exhausted.