Government Resources For Minority Owned Businesses

Financing Your Business

Federal and state government agencies do not provide grants to minorities for starting a business. However, there are a number of low-interest loan programs that help individuals obtain startup financing. Some non-profit and local organizations provide a small number of grants to help minorities and those in economic disadvantaged communities to start and expand businesses. Visit the Loans and Grants Search Tool to get a full list of grant, loan, and venture capital programs for which you might qualify.

• ACCION USA Small Business Loans – Offers flexible loans (up to $50,000) to small business owners who have limited or no access to traditional business credit, including women and minorities.
• SBA Prequalification Loan Program – Intermediary organizations assist prospective borrowers in developing viable loan application packages and securing loans. This program targets low income borrowers, disabled business owners, new and emerging businesses, veterans, exporters, rural and specialized industries.
• USDA Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers – Makes and guarantees loans to approved socially disadvantaged applicants to buy and operate family-size farms and ranches.

State-Based Programs

• Delaware Access Program – Low collateral loan program geared to small businesses, including minority and women owned businesses.
• Hawaii Consumer Micro-Loan Program – Provides low cost loans up to $7,500 to Native Hawaiians who are experiencing temporary financial hardship due to unforeseen events, or who wish to enhance their careers.
• Iowa Target Small Business Assistance Program – Provides loans, loan guaranty, and equity grants of up to $50,000 to help women, minorities and persons with disabilities start and expand their businesses.
• Massachusetts BDC Capital Community Loans Financing programs for women-owned, minority-owned businesses.
• Mississippi Capital Access Loan Program – Provides financing for borrowers who, for various reasons, might have difficulty in obtaining conventional loans. Borrowers must apply for a loan through a lending institution.
• Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Loan Program – Assists new and existing minority businesses in gaining access to needed capital in the form of direct low-interest loans.
• Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund – Loans to help start-up and expansion of Native Hawaiian owned businesses.
• New Jersey Urban Plus – Provides financial support to small, women- or minority-owned businesses, manufacturers, redevelopers and non-profit organizations in the following endorsed New Jersey municipalities: Camden, Trenton, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, East Orange, New Brunswick, and Atlantic City.
• New Mexico Community Development Loan Fund – Assists businesses and non-profits that provide positive social benefits, meet other special requirements, and are unable to access loans from traditional sources, such as banks. Particular emphasis is placed on helping low-income people, women and minorities.
• Tennessee Small and Minority-Owned Business Assistance Program – Financial assistance for new, expanding and existing businesses in Tennessee that do not have reasonable access to capital markets and traditional commercial lending facilities.

Financing a Home-Based Business

Federal agencies do not provide grants for starting a home-based business. However, there are a number of low-interest loan programs that help individuals obtain startup financing. Visit the Loans and Grants Search Tool to get a full list of grant, loan, and venture capital programs for which you might qualify.

Government Resources for Disabled People

Government Resources For Financing a Business

Federal and state government agencies do not provide grants to people with disabilities for starting a business. However, there are a number of low-interest loan programs that help disabled people obtain startup financing. The following loan programs are specifically for business owners with disabilities. Visit the Loans and Grants Search Tool to get a full list of grant, loan, and venture capital programs for which you might qualify.

• Abilities Fund – Offers financial assistance, customize training and resources to entrepreneurs with disabilities.
• Iowa Target Small Business Assistance Program – Provides loans, loan guaranty, and equity grants of up to $50,000 to help women, minorities and persons with disabilities start and expand their businesses.
• Maine: Kim Wallace Adaptive Equipment Loan Program Fund – Financial assistance to disabled persons and businesses for the purchase, construction or installation of adaptive products or equipment that allow disabled persons to become more independent within the community, promotes mobility and improves independence and quality of life. Businesses may use loan funds to facilitate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Mississippi Capital Access Loan Program – Provides financing for borrowers who, for various reasons, might have difficulty in obtaining conventional loans. Borrowers must apply for a loan through a lending institution.

Government Resources For Non Profit Organizations

Non-profit entrepreneurs are eligible for certain benefits including grants, government surplus, and tax exemptions.

Grants and Financial Assistance

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance – Access a database of all federal financial assistance programs available to non-profits.
• Charity Assistance to Businesses Affected by a Disaster – Tax information for charities that help businesses after a disaster.
• Cost-Principles for Non-Profit Organizations – This Circular establishes principles for determining costs of grants, contracts and other agreements with non-profit organizations.
• Faith-Based and Community Initiatives – Faith-based and community organizations are helping Americans in need and together represent an integral part of America’s social service network.
• Federal Grants (Grants.gov) – Provides a comprehensive database of federal grant opportunities.

Government Resources For Veteran Owned Businesses

Financing a Business

Federal and state government agencies do not provide grants to veterans for starting a business. However, there are a number of low-interest loan programs that help veterans obtain startup financing. The following loan programs are specifically for veterans and members of the military community. 

• Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan – This loan program provides funds to eligible small businesses to meet its ordinary and necessary operating expenses that it could have met, but is unable to meet, because an essential employee was “called-up” to active duty in their role as a military reservist.
• Employ Illinois – Military Reserve Loan – These loans are available to active reserve military, and provide low-interest access to capital to hire employees, make capital improvements or pursue other avenues that will lead to business survival.

Government Resources For Women Owned Businesses

Grants and Loans

Federal and state government agencies do not provide grants to women to help them start a business. Grants may be available from non-profits and private organizations, however, these are very rare and usually focus on helping minority women and women in economically disadvantaged communities. However, there are a limited number of loans available to specifically to help women start and expand their businesses. The following programs are specifically for women entrepreneurs.

• ACCION USA Small Business Loans – Offers flexible loans (up to $50,000) to small business owners who have limited or no access to traditional business credit, including women and minorities.
• Delaware: Delaware Access Program – Low collateral loan program geared to small businesses, including minority and women owned businesses.
• Iowa: Target Small Business Assistance Program – Provides loans, loan guaranty, and equity grants of up to $50,000 to help women, minorities and persons with disabilities start and expand their businesses.
• Mississippi: Capital Access Loan Program – Provides financing for borrowers who, for various reasons, might have difficulty in obtaining conventional loans. Borrowers must apply for a loan through a lending institution.
• New Jersey: Urban Plus – Provides financial support to small, women- or minority-owned businesses, manufacturers, redevelopers and non-profit organizations in the following endorsed New Jersey municipalities: Camden, Trenton, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, East Orange, New Brunswick, and Atlantic City.
• New Mexico: The Loan Fund – Assists businesses and non-profits that provide positive social benefits, meet other special requirements, and are unable to access loans from traditional sources, such as banks. Particular emphasis is placed on helping low-income people, women and minorities.

GOVERNMENT RESOURCES FROM AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE GRANTS

The Department of Health and Human Services is the Grants.gov program’s managing partner, and allows access to the 26 federal grant-making agencies available through this convenient E-Government initiative. We have provided the link to all of the links of those agency websites. If you would like to learn more about the grants available from those specific agencies, please click on the link below. Grants.gov was established as a governmental resource named the E-Grants Initiative, part of the President’s 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda to improve government services to the public. The concept has its origins in the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, also known as Public Law 106-107. Public Law 106-107 has since sunset and is now known as the Grants Policy Committee (GPC). Today, Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards. To access all Grant listings by their sponsored agencies, please click the link below.