Office of Nightlife

The Office of Nightlife (ONL) at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) serves as a central point of contact among the nightlife industry, community, and city agencies. Our goal is to help ensure a more vibrant, viable, safe, fair, and well managed nightlife environment in New York City.

Nightlife is a vital part of the city's economy, culture, and identity, supporting nearly 300,000 jobs and generating $35.1 billion in economic impact. New York's nightlife has also long been an important incubator of cultural movements and continues to provide spaces for connection, creativity, and personal expression.

The Office of Nightlife works to support these important contributions by coordinating city services and programs to promote responsible growth, diversity, creativity, inclusion, and quality of life for all New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.

We are a resource for all New Yorkers to learn more about the city's nightlife industry and community, and share information for nightlife and hospitality business operators, workers, performers, patrons, and residents to better navigate city services.

Read Office of Nightlife Reports here.

For more information or questions, please call the NYC Office of Nightlife at (917) 273-0065 and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

FY26 Nightlife Grant

The Office of Nightlife (ONL) at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is launching the FY26 Nightlife Grant program for nonprofit organizations. Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations for projects that strengthen nightlife business vitality within New York City's commercial corridors. The initiative is funded through the Neighborhood 360° Grant Program.

The FY26 Nightlife Grant will fund initiatives that support nightlife and align with one or more of the following key program objectives:

• Local promotion and commercial visibility
• Retail retention and industry capacity strategies
• Promoting safe, inclusive, and sustainable nightlife districts
• Preserving and supporting nightlife culture

For information about the grant program, please see the full FY26 Nightlife Grant Guidelines document. Proposals should respond to the opportunities highlighted in the Grant Guidelines.

Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process. Awardees will implement projects within a specific Designated Service Area, and grant work must be completed by June 30, 2026. Organizations may submit more than one application, but it is expected that one grant will be awarded per organization.

Successful projects will engage nightlife businesses and industry organizations to develop relationships, foster partnerships, and build capacity to extend the project's objectives beyond the term of the grant. Successful applicants will propose projects and services that also align with the goals and recommendations of ONL's annual reports.

To apply, please visit the FY26 Nightlife Grant Application online form. You may refer to a full list of Nightlife Grant Application Questions and the example template budget to help prepare your application.

All inquiries on the FY26 Nightlife Grant program should be directed to nightlife@sbs.nyc.gov.