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GRANTS

Despite what the late-night infomercials want you to believe, the federal government does not provide grants for business expansion and growth. There is no “free” money for you to start or grow a business. 

Grants.gov is the source to find and apply for federal grants.  Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards. It does not provide personal financial assistance.

LOANS

Financing a business is never simple whether it's a start-up or a business that's been around for years.  From initial seed money to working capital needed to keep operations going and to pay bills, access to capital remains a major barrier to many minority-owned firms.

Let MBDA help you better position your company.

• Visit one of our Minority Business Centers for more in depth one-on-one financial counseling for growth and success of your business.
• Get started by gathering together some basic loan documentation.

MBDA does not provide loans or grants to start or expand your business.  The grants MBDA does provide are to organizations that operate MBDA's Minority Business Centers throughout the United States.  These organizations provide business consulting, procurement matching and financial assistance to minority-owned firms.

Alternative Financing Information

• Family and Friends
• Equity Financing
• Mezzanine Financing
• View Blog Posts on Private Equity and Venture Capital Sourcing

More Information on Federal Loan Programs

• SBA's Financial Assistance Guide describes SBA loan programs, including eligibility requirements and how to apply for them.
• USDA's Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program is for businesses that are located in rural areas. For more details on USDA's Business Loan Programs please contact their State Rural Development Offices.
• The Department of Transportation provides a Short-Term Lending Program  to certified businesses that covers a variety of needs.