Business Grant &
Loan Opportunities

HEDCO provides small business clientele that would be otherwise un-met or under-served with access to capital needs. We also provide hope and opportunity for people to realize their dream businesses, create financial freedom and contribute to their communities through job creations and needed services.

NMSDC’s advocacy agenda consists of three focus areas: access to contracts and procurement opportunities, access to capital, and a Federal MBE designation. These areas will fuel economic growth, not only for MBEs but for our Corporate Members and the entire American economy.

Grants.gov allows grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities. It contains information on more than 1,000 grant programs across all 26 federal grant-making agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Operation Hope program is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs in lowwealth neighborhoods, which often include minority communities. The program combines business training and financial counseling along with access to small-business financing options. Participants complete a 12-week training program, plus workshops on business financing and credit and money management.

Since 2006, the NASE has awarded nearly $1,000,000 to members just like you through the Growth Grants program by providing small business grants. Grants can be used for marketing, advertising, hiring employees, expanding facilities and other specific business needs.

The FedEx Small Business annual grant contest awards 10 small businesses with grants of up to $25,000. Since 2013, FedEx has awarded more than $375,000 in grants to entrepreneurs. Any for-profit small business that has been operating for at least six months is eligible to enter.

Supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund links Connecticut small businesses and nonprofits to the financial support they need to thrive.

Grants are available to women–owned and/or minority–owned businesses in Connecticut and are designed to help these businesses pivot, expand or restructure during pandemic times and beyond. Grants between $2,500 and $10,000 may be given for clearly defined projects that will have a measurable impact on the business. Applicants are required to match 25% of the grant funding with their own money. For example, a client who receives a $10,000 grant to purchase additional software to improve the efficiency of their operations must have invested, as a match, $2,500 in their businesses over the past 12 months or be able to invest an incremental $2,500 of their own funds in that purchase.

The Access to Capital: Innovative Finance Projects seek to address, mitigate and remove systemic barriers of traditional financing by leveraging alternative funding methods and non-traditional sources of lending.

Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR and STTR enable small businesses to explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated, and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs.

Learn about federal programs that help veteran-owned small businesses access federal contract awards and surplus personal property.

Socially or economically disadvantaged small-business owners are eligible to receive help through this SBA 8(a) program, which provides business development assistance, training, and management and technical guidance.

CIC is an economic development lender contributing financial expertise and guidance to entrepreneurs who have powerful ideas and need more power to grow them. Our business loan offerings in Connecticut and Rhode Island range from the smallest of microloans to multi-million-dollar commercial loans.