Business resources in GA for Minorities, Veterans And Women

Ongoing, year round free grants, business coaching, and loan programs in GA

A number of free grant, loan, coaching services and financial assistance programs operate year round in Georgia. Find details below by “category”, including by ethnicity, gender, and or city/county/geography. Some assistance is available monthly too, and scroll down the page to find more loan or grant programs.

Statewide financial resources and coaching services

Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Inc. (ACE) operates across Georgia as a non-profit, CDFI. They provide low cost or interest free loans, grant programs, coaching and educational workshops. A focus is giving assistance to low-income entrepreneurs as well as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), veteran, or women business owners or entrepreneurs. Learn more here. https://aceloans.org/

Buy from a Black Woman provides a platform of Black Women to grow sales and get visibility and the non-profit also offers occasional grant money. The goal is to help businesses owned by Black woman grow and get capital, and get details here. https://www.buyfromablackwoman.org/

Georgia Microenterprise Network (GMEN) is a statewide organization that offers support for small businesses and entrepreneurs. There are free training sessions, classes, network events and other services. The free network also provides information on government grants or low cost (or interest free loans) from lenders. GMEN operates year round with a diverse set of businesses involved, including those owned by women, people of color, veterans, LGTBQ+ and others. More details on GMEN here. https://gmen.org/

Georgia MBDA, or formally known as the Minority Business Development Agency, focuses on helping small, minority owned businesses in Atlanta and statewide.  There are programs such as START to Build, information on raising capital or money for a business, a Growth Hub and more. They are also partners with Georgia Tech. Find details here. https://georgiambdabusinesscenter.org/

Georgia’s SSBCI is a federal funded, free grant program for underserved businesses. A focus is on those from rural areas, inner cities, and low-income parts of GA. Financial assistance is from Georgia Loan Participation Program (GA LPP) as well as Georgia SBCG (Small Business Credit Guaranty). Most of the funds go to women, minorities and veterans, as they fall into the sections of the state. Apply here. https://www.dca.ga.gov/community-economic-development/funding-programs/state-small-business-credit-initiative-ssbci

Atlanta area (all surrounding counties) assistance programs for MWBE businesses

ASCEND is for minorities in the Atlanta region. the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, JPMorgan Chase (one of largest banks in the world), Village Micro Fund and TechSquare Labs as well as other corporations created this program for minority business owners and start ups.  Clients can get capital, including interest free loans, or enroll into a Market Acceleration Program. There is also minority business start up classes for Microbusinesses, free coaches, applications to grant money for MWBE companies and so much more. Continue with ASCEND. https://ascendatlanta.com/

Atlanta area, Black and Brown owned businesses can get help from the Village Micro Fund. They are a Kiva Trustee as well, meaning the Fund can help facilitate microloans at zero percent interest rates. There are business education workshops, loans to grow or start a small businesses, a “Fellowship Program” and much more. They focus on helping the underserved community. Learn more on the non-profit here. https://www.villagemicrofund.com/

The Atlanta Business League helps African-Americans in the city and nearby counties, including Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb and others.  There is business training, workshops and information on raising money. Learn about starting a business, creating an LLC, researching a market and much more. Find details about the League here. https://atlantabusinessleague.org/

Atlanta Dream Collective, including the WNBA, provides a number of services to small businesses in the Atlanta community, with a focus on the diverse Atlanta area community. The program includes everything from grants to loans from Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs CDFI, business mentoring and much more.  Get details on the Dream Collective here.  https://dream.wnba.com/atlanta-dream-collective

Atlanta MSA Black entrepreneurs can get help from the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE). The facility allows Black men and women owned businesses to learn about grant programs. There are workspaces for use, networking, coaching programs, It is an incubator service that helps startups grow, address any issues around funding or growth rates and offers other assistance. Continue reading here. https://russellcenter.org/

Athens area Georgia Innovation Gateway supports the University of Georgia area, including alumni starting a business or local entrepreneurs. They offer workshops, pitch competitions for grants, help with legal filings and so much more. Learn about the organization here. https://research.uga.edu/gateway/

Black women owned small business and entrepreneurs will get help from Pathways to Success, a program from Swoop, The BOSS Network, and Sage. There is free mentoring, coaching, information on raising money from grants or 0% APR loans, and membership to local groups such as the BOSS Network. Get details here. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/HRAjMjd/pathwaystosuccess

Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund is provides working capital to minority, women-owned, and low-income business owners in the Atlanta community. Low-cost or interest free loans from non-profit community lenders (CDFIs) help small businesses get the funds they need. Apply here. https://www.lisc.org/eocf/

Atlanta Women’s Foundation helps non-profits. They will have grant programs and other resources for non-profit organizations in the Atlanta area. The assistance is only for charity/non-profit groups that help women, including low-income families, overcome hardships. Find details. https://www.atlantawomen.org/

Women owned businesses in the metropolitan area of Atlanta (and all several counties surrounding the city) can get help from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI). They help women create and/or launch a business, and all that involves. There are referrals to government and charitable grant programs, low cost loans, business plan development, mentoring, education, and so much more. Women of all ages, races, ethnicities, etc. can get help. Learn more about the center here and the assistance programs offered. https://www.weiatlanta.com/

Atlanta Wealth Building Imitative (AWBI) provides a number of business assistance programs, with a focus on Black women and male-owned. A major focus is on Black / African owned businesses, and they have a program to assist 1,000 (or more). Grants, workforce development, counseling and more is offered. Continue reading. https://www.atlantawealthbuilding.org/1000blackbusinesses

Grameen America has a location in Atlanta. They provide microloans to Black women and minority owned businesses in the region.  Other helps is given as well to businesses owned by women of color. Grameen partners with Startup Atlanta, he City of Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Cathedral of Faith, and the ATL based On the Rise Financial Center. https://www.grameenamerica.org/blog/2023/atlanta

Start:ME Accelerator, from Emory University and partner agencies, is offered multiple times per year. It helps women and minority-owned micro-businesses. There is free mentoring, peer to peer coaching, information on grants and raising capital as well as other services. The Goizueta Business School at Emory is the lead, and find details here. Apply here. https://www.startmeatl.org/

Innovative Community Center Branch, also known as the Summerhill Community Center, operated by Chase, offers a number or services to small businesses, with a focus on those that are minority owned, disadvantaged as well as that have bad credit. The Atlanta location of Chase has free one-on-one mentorship support, help applying for loans, entrepreneurship services and more. Get details here https://media.chase.com/news/chase-opens-innovative-community-center-branch-in-atlantas-summerhill-neighborhood

Spellman College Launch Incubator For Traction program is helping Black owned tech companies.  The program known as LIFT is offering help to raise money, mentorship, technical help and more. All services are free and also in partnership with the Center for Black Entrepreneurship. Get details here. https://www.spelman.edu/center-for-black-entrepreneurship/center-for-black-entrepreneurship-overview

The Urban League of Greater Atlanta has a number of small business and job training programs for the disadvantaged, including Black Americans. There is also the The Entrepreneurship Center (TEC) and small business accelerator programs. Learn more here. https://ulgatl.org/entrepreneurship/

The United Way of Greater Atlanta, working with other lenders (including Wells Fargo) and non-profits such as Invest Atlanta, provides help to small business owners, with a focus on minority, veteran, Black owned, and women owned as well as “diverse” businesses.  The United Way help facilitates microloans, helps businesses pay the rent, get capital and offers other financial help as well as training services.  Learn more on grants, Invest in Atlanta financial assistance programs, and get other help here. https://www.investatlanta.com/

University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helps small businesses, including Hispanic, minority, women and others in need. There are multiple sites in the state. Get help in raising money, setting up a small business and growing an existing company as well – all services are free.  Learn more here. https://georgiasbdc.org/locations/

Augusta region and central-eastern GA

Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation will, from time to time, give free grants as well as training to help Black males and/or females start a businesses. However they do provide services year round to members. They can help minority business owners network, offer mentorships, referrals to non-profits, and a host of other services. Learn more. https://mygabc.org/

Central Georgia grant and loan programs

LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce has an annual Small Business Accelerator. The goal is to help disadvantaged small businesses owners and those with diverse backgrounds. There is free information on raising money, marketing help, information on interest free loans or grants and other support from the multiple week program. Details are here. https://www.lagrangechamber.com/programs-events/small-business-accelerator/

Macon and central Georgia area business, including underserved ones (Black, Women, Veteran, LGBTQ, etc.) can get help from Newton Macon. They are a small, CDFI lender that not only provides capital to businesses that often lack access to funds, but they also coordinate other assistance. Website and business plan development, networking, mentoring, and other programs are offered in the region. Learn more on their services as well as loans. https://www.newtownmacon.com/loans/ Another option in Macon area is the non-profit NewTown Macon’s Godsey Initiatives Fund. They help women and businesses of color start and/or grow through a number of programs.

By Jon McNamara