Small Business

Costco limits motor-oil purchases. What Indiana businesses should watch

BusinessIndy Analysis: Costco lists a 10-quart synthetic-oil pack at $57.99 online and limits purchases of its 0W-20 pack. For small fleets, the issue is maintenance cost and dependable supply.

IU professor launches Indianapolis startup Kovina Therapeutics to pursue HPV-related cancer treatments

Dr. Elliot Androphy, a professor in the IU School of Medicine, founded Indianapolis-based Kovina Therapeutics to develop small-molecule medicines that target HPV proteins and kill infected cells. IU has co-owned related patents and the startup has received university seed support, venture backing and NIH grants.

Hendricks County youth starts Faithful Shine window-washing business, offers free estimates

Eleven-year-old Rysten runs Faithful Shine Window Washing, a kid-owned business offering interior and exterior window cleaning and screen cleaning to Hendricks County and nearby areas. The article says the business provides free estimates and lists a contact number for customers.

Boone County Solid Waste Management District accepting grant applications

The Boone County Solid Waste Management District is accepting applications for its 2027 Community Grant Program, offering awards up to $5,000 to Boone County nonprofits, schools, libraries, civic groups, clubs and eligible private businesses. Applications are on boonecountysolidwaste.com and must be submitted by Sept. 30.

IU Southeast@Novaparke offers reserveable labs and meeting spaces for faculty, startups and community groups

Indiana University Southeast is offering a set of flexible, reserveable spaces at its Novaparke location for class projects, research, meetings, seminars and events; IU Southeast faculty may reserve certain spaces at no cost while community organizations and businesses can rent them. Contact Julie Ingram for availability and rental quotes.

Westfield’s Heart & Soul free clinic logged about 1,700 patient visits in 2025; seeks support with Sept. 19 fundraiser

Heart & Soul Free Clinic in Westfield reports it treated about 700 people — roughly 1,700 visits — in 2025 and relies on volunteers, grants and fundraisers to provide no-cost care. The clinic received a $50,000 grant Sept. 1, 2026, and the Mission Hills Charity Jam is set for Sept. 19, 2026 to raise additional support.

Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville receives grant from Sheehan Charitable Foundation

Carmel entrepreneur Jenna Burd becomes first fellow while her company joins Orr Fellowship as a partner

Current Publishing reports that Jenna Burd, a 22-year-old 2026 Butler graduate and Carmel entrepreneur, became the first person to participate in Orr Fellowship while running her own Orr partner company, Yalla Solutions. Burd also helped launch the Orr Fellowship Foundry, which held its first cohort in August 2026; applications for the 2027 cohort close Sept. 25, 2026.

Advancing Westfield Foundation awards $499,000 to 22 Westfield nonprofits

Advancing Westfield Foundation granted $499,000 to 22 organizations serving Westfield, backing health care, youth programming and senior services. The awards were funded by proceeds from the Mayor’s Grand Gala held in early May.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards youth grants to 31 Indiana groups, reaching 16,500 people

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded youth literacy grants to 31 organizations across Indiana as part of more than $4.1 million distributed nationwide. Indiana awards range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are intended for books, technology, equipment and professional development.

Ripple Boulder prepares to open at MononWorks in Indianapolis

Indy Eleven spotlights IBCC businesses with Small Business Night at Carroll Stadium

Indy Eleven is partnering with the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce for “Small Business Night” tied to a USL Championship match at Carroll Stadium; IBCC-supported businesses will be in the Fun Zone when gates open at 5:30 p.m. ahead of a 7 p.m. kickoff. Discounted tickets bought via an IBCC link will send a portion of sales to the chamber.

Indiana State Police seeks nearly $30M federal grant tied to immigration enforcement

Indiana State Police applied in July for up to $30,269,985 from the DOJ’s FY2026 BIDEN program to buy vehicles, covert cameras, cell-site simulators and investigative software that would support immigration-related work and other investigations. The application lists no state match, no new employees and says the funding would sustain ISP’s participation in ICE’s 287(g) program.

Walmart gives $250,000 to Indy Chamber for Greater Indianapolis workforce planning

Walmart awarded $250,000 to the Indy Chamber to back a five-month regional planning effort to better connect workers, training programs and employers across Greater Indianapolis. The coalition includes CEOs of CICP, Ascend Indiana, The Indianapolis Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana, EmployIndy and Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana.

Indy Chamber names Alan Pyrz COO to strengthen operations supporting Indianapolis businesses

The Indy Chamber has appointed Alan Pyrz as chief operating officer. Pyrz will lead internal operations and organizational strategy, overseeing systems and processes that support the Chamber’s work for businesses and communities; he co-founded eGov Strategies and held senior executive roles after its 2020 sale.

Lawrence police aid ICE after barricade at local business, underscoring public-safety impacts for Indiana firms

Lawrence Police assisted federal immigration officers after a man with extraditable felony warrants barricaded himself inside a Lawrence business, Deputy Chief Travis Cline said. Officers used a police canine to take the man into custody after ICE requested help because of potential danger to people inside.

$120M Federal Investment Targets Rural Indiana Health Capacity, With Consequences for Workforce and Regional Operations

Indiana will receive $120 million through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program to support projects across eight regions via the state’s GROW regional grants. The funding is aimed at maternal care, mobile clinics, workforce development, nutrition pilots and coordinated regional transportation.

Grant-backed Harvest Fest to drive sales and fundraising for Fishers artists and nonprofits Sept. 13

The seventh annual Harvest Fest will run noon–5 p.m. Sept. 13 along Fishers’ Nickel Plate Trail, featuring more than 70 artists, 10 nonprofits, live music and food vendors. Organizers say the event will prioritize raising funds and awareness for local nonprofits and showcase area makers.

Zionsville in brief — September 1, 2026

The northbound lane of Zionsville Road north of 86th Street will close beginning Aug. 30 for a Citizens Energy Group gas project; the Town of Zionsville says work should take about a week but could last until Sept. 13. The brief also notes a $4,000 Indiana Arts Commission grant for the Hussey‑Mayfield library and a parks feasibility RFP due Oct. 2.

Indiana school districts face matching costs after state approves $26.9M in safety grants

The Indiana Secured School Safety Board approved more than $26.9 million in matching grants for 499 projects, with nearly $20 million earmarked for school resource officers and law enforcement on campus. Local districts must provide required matches of 25%, 50% or 100% depending on enrollment and project type.

$2.25M Lilly Endowment grant to Indy Chamber Foundation to expand Life in Indy talent platform

The Indy Chamber Foundation announced Aug. 31, 2026 that Lilly Endowment awarded $2.25 million to scale and modernize its Life in Indy regional storytelling platform, funding digital updates, talent-attraction initiatives, community storytelling and expanded research capacity to support regional recruitment efforts.

Indiana prison population climbs as local corrections programs face funding cuts

Indiana’s adult prison population reached about 26,640—roughly 2,300 more than summer 2024—while Community Corrections and Justice Reinvestment grant funding is projected to fall about 27% from $72.5 million in 2025 to $52.9 million in 2027, officials told a legislative study committee. Corrections and local leaders warned those trends could raise state and county incarceration costs and strain alternatives to prison.

Lawmakers study Indiana’s sexual assault response

At an Aug. 25 interim study hearing, advocates and law-enforcement officials told lawmakers a backlog of untested rape kits, a shortage of forensic nurses and trauma-trained investigators, plus an expected 40% federal VOCA grant reduction in October are weakening Indiana’s sexual-assault response and prompting requests for state budget increases.

Indianapolis Public Library launches free Small Business Series starting Sept. 14 to support local entrepreneurs

The Indianapolis Public Library will host a free, in-person Small Business Series at Central Library beginning September 14, 2026, offering workshops on data tools, business systems, intellectual property, budgeting, planning and certification. Registration is encouraged and sessions are funded by the Library Foundation’s Dr. Michael R. Twyman Endowment Fund.