Year round free financial assistance, grant or loan programs, and business coaching

A number of financial assistance programs, coaching programs, mentoring and more is offered year round in Pennsylvania. Find details below by city, county, as well as “sections” of the state. In addition to these year round grant programs and other services, monthly programs are offered too – as listed below.

Statewide grants, loans, and services for MWBE businesses

Community First Fund is a non-profit CDFI that focuses on small businesses as well as start-ups. They offer $1000 to $50,000 microloans, coaching and technical help, larger dollar loans from a credit union and other support. A major focus is on ensuring businesses owned by People of Color in PA get the capital they need. Learn about the CDFI fund here. https://communityfirstfund.org/

Microloans from Kiva are offered across Pennsylvania. The lender works with different non-profits and government agencies to help with applications. The loans have a zero percent interest rate and they can help a start up business up through any existing small business that has been operating for many years. The goal is to help the underserved, including women, veteran, and minority owned businesses, get the capital they need.  Loans are offered by City of York. The agency offers up to $10,000 loans, marketing help, and other support in partnership with Kiva. More details https://www.yorkcity.org/business/kiva-york/. All of SW Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, can apply for interest free loans from the Riverside Center of Innovation. Resource centers, Kiva loans, and other aid is offered. Learn more. https://www.riversidecenterforinnovation.com/. Or in Erie County and the city has a Kiva financial assistance program offered as well. entrepreneurs, small to mid sized businesses, low income owners and others can apply. Get details on their programs. https://cityof.erie.pa.us/

Pennsylvania Chamber for Black Owned Business, or PACBOB, is a statewide organizations focused on minority and in particular Black owned businesses.  They work with the state, federal government, and local African American business Chambers. Training, loan or grant programs, technical help, counseling or free business coaching and more is offered. They also help Black owned businesses qualify for government expenditures. Read more. https://www.pachamber.org/membership/propel_your_business/

PMBDA, or the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Agency, gives low cost loans to ethnic minorities. The government backed loans can pay for land, equipment, machinery, and used for working capital. The PMBDA provides a number of other small business services too. Learn more here. https://dced.pa.gov/programs/pennsylvania-minority-business-development-authority-pmbda/

Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) are located across the state. Over 15 centers help people learn about starting a business and “launching” a company.  There is free consulting, information starting a business, development workshops, loan and grant applications and other free government supported programs. Read more here. https://www.pasbdc.org/

Central and Southern Pennsylvania

Reading area entrepreneurs and small-micro businesses can use the programs available at Alvernia University‘s O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. There is a Business Incubator Program, a technology transfer and learning service as well as a Fellows Program among other resources. Most years they also provide a number of grants to small businesses in the Reading PA region. Learn more here. https://opake.alvernia.edu/

Philadelphia and SE region free grants and loans

Black and Brown minority businesses in Philadelphia can get financial help (and other support) from the Pro Disinfect, which is run by the The Enterprise Center in West Philadelphia. There is assistance with applying for loans, free counseling, back office support, venture capital, and other assistance. The loans will have a very low APR (zero to 2%) and can help businesses with funds they need. For additional support or information, click here. https://www.theenterprisecenter.com/

Chester County women owned businesses (or non-profits) can apply for grants and support from the Fund for Women and Girls. The help non-profits, charities or women owned companies with a social cause – those that work to improve the education, health, and financial standing of women. Grants and other support is available on occasion, and learn more here https://www.thefundcc.org/

JVS Philadelphia Fund for Women has a number of free services for women owned businesses. There is coaching, investments including equity, free grants and loan programs too. In general, grant money is passed out a couple times per year, but ongoing help is provided. Learn about the non-profit here. https://www.jvsphilafund.com/

Lancaster PA area is supported by Fulton Bank. There is a Diverse Business Banking program that offers free one-on-one mentorship, SBA loans, payroll and small business merchant services, educational resources and more. The bank helps businesses owned by people of diverse backgrounds, such as LGTBQ+, people of color, veterans and others. Get details here. https://www.fultonbank.com/Small-Business/Business-Services/Diverse-Business-Banking

Latinos and immigrants can get help from Greenline Ventures. The CDFI provides access to capital, loans, grants, financial services, and more. The CDFI, which was founded by an immigrants, focuses on helping people from South and Central America. Get details here. https://www.greenlineaccess.org/

Lehigh Ventures Lab is for alumni, current students or professors/staff who are starting a business. There is a business accelerator, information on loans including from People First Federal Credit Union, technical help, and MWBE resources too. The goal it to help with business start ups. Learn more here. https://www.lehighventureslab.com/

Norristown Small Business Assistance Center and the Enterprise Center help small, black owned businesses and those owned by people of color.  There is free coaching and mentoring, access to capital including loans, MWBE certification and more. Also advertising and marketing help is given to increase the businesses visibility. Learn more here on the center. https://www.norristown.org/282/Small-Business-Assistance-Center

PIDC Philadelphia is a non-profit lender that often provides funds to businesses that can’t get a loan from anywhere else. Many borrowers have poor, or limited, credit histories and/or come from low income regions of the city. A number of funds also go towards minority owned businesses. Learn more on the lender here. https://www.pidcphila.com/

The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GPHCC) helps people start, develop and grow a small business.  There are grants (issued by partners of the Chamber), education programs, business classes for Hispanics and other services. There are online videos too also help small businesses, and learn more here. https://www.philahispanicchamber.org/small-business-development–education.html

The Welcoming Center helps immigrants and minorities with a wide range of services. There is a Business Training Program operated with the Neighborhood Development Center. It covers marketing, website development, creating a LLC or entity, and classes on raising money, including from grants or loans.  Learn more here. https://welcomingcenter.org/

Urban League of Philadelphia has an small business and Entrepreneurship Center. They work with SBA, non-profits and companies to offer free business coaching, access to free MWBE microgrants, training programs and more. Get details here. https://urbanleaguephila.org/what-we-do/entrepreneurship-center/

WISE Women helps non-profits only in Blair County. They can provide grants for scholarships, information on starting a business, highlight women owned businesses and recognize them, and give females other support.  The main phone number is 814-822-0332.

Women’s Opportunities Resource Center (WORC) is based in Philadelphia and is a CDFI. However not only do they offer low interest rate (or 0% APR) loans, but they help in other ways. They offer credit counseling services, job programs, business training, self-employment resources and much more. They focus on women of all races from low income or disadvantaged regions. Continue reading here. https://www.worc-pa.com/index.html

York County small businesses can get support from the Bloom Empowerment Center. The center works to provide women, minority, and other small business owners with access to capital as well as other free business development services. There are classes, business start up programs, help finding and applying to free corporate or government grants and more. Read about the center here. https://www.yceapa.org/bloom/

Pittsburgh and SW Pennsylvania assistance programs

Chatham University’s (in Pittsburgh) Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship is a resource for the city. Among other resources is the Women’s Business Center. Learn about the legal structures of a business as well as capital raising including loans from lenders or government grants. Get help with digital marketing, sales tips, website development, and much more. Get a list of their services here. https://www.chatham.edu/cwe/

Erie’s Black Wall Street supports the Black and African American Community. A free to use business center arranges mentoring, classes on entrepreneurs hip, information on loans and grant programs and other support. They also help with marketing and PR through local business directories. Learn more on Erie Black Wall Street here. https://www.eriesblackwallstreet.org/

Erie PA (City of) has a free microgrant program for small businesses. Twice a year several local businesses, including minority or veteran owned, will get up to $5,000. In general, a couple dozen businesses will get financial help each year. Learn more. https://cityof.erie.pa.us/flagshipfund/

Greenwood Plan is a non-profit focused on the Black community in Pittsburgh. They offer a number of services, including a business accelerator program, information on fund raising, conferences or networking events and more. The goal is to help Black Men and Women start and/or grow a business and get the financial help they need. Get details here. https://www.greenwoodplan.com/

Pittsburgh businesses can seek help, including microlams, from Paramount Pursuits. They are an incubator that focus on MWBE and other businesses that are involved in “main street revitalization”.  The incubator is also a Kiva Trustee. They work with each applicant and client to assess their needs, find resources (whether grants or financial aid or loans), help with marketing and so much more. Learn about the agency. https://www.paparamount.com/

Pittsburgh creative businesses can turn to I Made It Market. The organization is a Trustee of Kiva, a non-profit that issues 0% interest rate loans. The organization can help arts and craft businesses, organic companies, farmers, artists, painters and others. The free loans are combined with counseling, sales or marketing assistance to help the small MWBE business expands. Read more on applying for assistance. https://www.imadeitmarket.com/

Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation provides 0% interest rate loans (as part of being a Kiva Trustee). They are also a business incubator for Latino / Hispanic businesses that are in the city of Pittsburgh.  There are a wide range of programs offered at the non-profit, ranging from financial assistance to help with cash flow projections, accounting, help marketing and so much more. They are a multi-faceted non-profit for the community. Learn about their services here. https://www.phdcincubator.org/

Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation helps businesses in the Wilkinsburg area only. They help entrepreneurs and/or small businesses get 0% interest rate microloans, mostly from Kiva. the goal of the non-profit is to help revitalize the area, and there is financial aid from loans, free business coaching and other support. Another priority is on ensuring disadvantaged businesses, such as minority, women, and veteran companies get the funds they need.  Find details here. https://wilkinsburgcdc.org/

Women’s Business Network, which supports several counties around Pittsburgh, has a variety of services for women owned businesses, including Latina, veteran, and Black women among others. From time to time, there are grant programs for women owned companies, as well as start ups, in counties such as Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, and Washington. There is a membership program that works to help women overcome barriers. Continue reading here. https://wbninc.com/

By Jon McNamara