Two Long Island businesses, one in Nassau and one in Suffolk, were each surprised to learn they were the winners of a $20,000 grant through the third annual L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant program.

The L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant Program, founded in 2024 by Optimum Business and the LIA Foundation, awards businesses in the region funding to further develop their entrepreneurial goals. The program gave 40 businesses, 20 in Nassau and 20 in Suffolk, a $5,000 grant in June in Bethpage. One business from each county was also awarded an additional $20,000, with the winners announced on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

“Now in its third year, the L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant program reflects a meaningful investment on main streets and in the downtowns that make Long Island’s communities vibrant and its economy strong,” Stacey Sikes, the acting president and CEO at the Long Island Association, said. “By giving small businesses the resources to pursue their goals and expand, we are supporting their continued growth while helping to create jobs and strengthen neighborhoods.”

The grand prize grants will empower the local entrepreneurs to further expand their business and make a lasting impact in their communities.

Balance Mental Health Counseling in Huntington, a minority-and-women-owned business providing individual, family, and group counseling for children, adolescents, and adults, with specialties including anxiety disorders, OCD, and perinatal mental health, as well as Barber & Beauty Institute of New York in Hempstead, an accredited barber school that provides professional barber training, were crowned as the winners of the additional $20,000 grant for 2026.

Balance Mental Health Counseling said it plans to use the funding to install a handicap accessible ramp at the front of the building, one of the final major improvements needed to make the property fully ADA accessible.