NASE awards national growth grant to Belleville small business
Tanya Ferguson of A Special Place Pre K Academy is recipient of $4,000 grant, sponsored by AARP, from the National Association for the Self-Employed
The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, has announced that Belleville, Ill.-based small business, A Special Place Pre K Academy (ASP2 STEAM Academy), has been awarded a $4,000 2025 first quarter growth grant, sponsored by AARP to help support small businesses owned and operated by older American entrepreneurs.
A Special Place Pre K Academy, located in Belleville, Ill., owned by NASE member Tanya Ferguson, was awarded a NASE Growth Grant in the first quarter of 2025. ASP2 STEAM Academy is a private school that specializes in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math as a full-service educational and developmental facility that provides an educational programming for children aged Pre-K through third grade.
Ferguson intends to use the funds for a fencing project; plans include the construction of a new fence around facility to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in their care while they engage in outdoor activities.
“Belleville small business A Special Place Pre K Academy was chosen for this Growth Grant award because they demonstrated a well-defined plan for growth, ranging from executing new marketing initiatives, purchasing new equipment, and additional creative ways to grow and expand. As one of the growing number of older Americans who are small business owners, we’re thrilled to collaborate with AARP to award NASE member Tanya Ferguson of A Special Place Pre K Academy with a $4,000 Growth Grant award,” said John Hearrell, NASE’s vice president of Membership and Affiliate Programs.
“America’s small business and self-employed community is the lifeblood of our economy, helping fuel growth along Main Street in small and large communities throughout the country. Over the course of the last four years, the American small business community has experienced a surge of over 20 million new small businesses opening and expanding, representing the true entrepreneurial spirit of America’s resilience and determination. We are thrilled to support A Special Place Pre K Academy’s expansion and growth,” Hearrell added.
In 2024 with the support of AARP and DELL Small Business, NASE awarded $112,000 in total grants to 28 small businesses to support their efforts to improve, grow and expand business operations. This year, NASE will continue to award grants throughout the year hoping to increase them even more.
For the last 40 years, NASE’s focus has been on finding the most effective way to bolster success for small businesses and self-employed members in communities across the country. NASE has awarded over $1,000,000 since the program’s inception and continue to see significant return on our investments in the growth of member-businesses helping to fuel their local economies.
NASE’s Growth Grant Program is intended for businesses planning to take the next step in their venture. It provides available capital for small businesses and sole proprietors to be able to hire and train additional employees, market their business in new and existing ways or invest in new equipment or software.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year and winning small businesses will be awarded $4,000 grants each quarter throughout 2025. Visit the Growth Grant page for more information.
