Find loans and free grants for veteran, women, LGBTQ or minority owned businesses in Colorado. Local as well as national banks, non-profit organizations, corporations, and other lenders provide funding to small to midsize businesses as well as entrepreneurs. There may be minority business loans, funds to help a women owned business grow, or grants to start up a company. Find how to get loans or free MWBE grants near you in Colorado.
There are lenders across the state. While most of the grants as well as loan programs are offered from lenders in the major cities of Denver, Boulder, or El Paso Colorado, there are also generally options available in all cities and counties. The application criteria will vary. Some lenders, financial aid or government grant programs require minimum credit scores or business revenue targets, others don’t. There may also be grants focused on Black women business owners, veterans, or female companies as well. You will need to call and/or apply for more details.
In addition to providing funds to MWBE as well as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) businesses in Colorado, some of the lenders or other providers will also give free advice or mentoring services as part of the financing package. This will be another benefit to using the programs below. In addition, there are always new loans or free grant programs being offered; the list below will be added to and updated daily.
Small business minority or women owned loans and free grants in Colorado
Find a current, updated list of places to turn to for funding. There will be grants loans, mentoring services, and other small business programs for women or minorities in Colorado near you. The most recent announcement as well as sources of funding will be at the top of the list, with older announcements towards the bottom.
February and March 2025
Denver Economic Development & Opportunity is providing grant money to small businesses that are impacted by construction in the Colfax area. The money is part of the Business Impact Opportunity Fund. Each business, including MWBE owned, can get either $7,500 or $15,000, with applications here. https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Economic-Development-Opportunity/Small-Businesses-and-Entrepreneurs/Resources-and-Programs/Business-Impact-Opportunity-Fund-RD-4
September and October 2024
The Boulder Affordable Commercial Grant Pilot Program will help businesses with a physical presence expand – such as help pay for building, capital investments and expansions of a facility. A extensive application is needed, with detailed plans and projects. The grants are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) act, and apply here. https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/affordable-commercial-grant-pilot-program
July and August 2024
BuildUp Grants is for businesses, or entrepreneurs, in the construction industry. This helps businesses provide apprenticeship programs to the community. It can be part of a MWBE or veteran focused program too. While funding varies, in some cases up to $100K may be provided. Learn more or apply here. https://apprenticeship.colorado.gov/resources/apprenticeship-funding-opportunities
June 2024
The Impact Fund Grant Program of Larimer County is focused on businesses or non-profits that address health care, in particular behavioral health. This can include organizations that focus on helping minorities, women, teens and others that struggling with wellness, and find details on the Behavioral Health Services grant program here. https://www.larimer.gov/behavioralhealth/impact-fund
March 2024
The 2024 Certifiably Green Denver grant program is providing up to $10,000 per qualified business. The money needs to be used for energy efficiency and “green” improvements. Some of the money will be allocated to disadvantaged businesses too, such as minorities, veterans, LGTBQ+ and women. Apply here. https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/03/25/climate-office-grants-women-minority-owned-businesses
The 2024 Boulder County Small Business Grants Program is providing free $5,000 grants to small businesses inside the county of Boulder (outside city limits). The goal of the program is to help existing small businesses offset costs for wages, rent, and other core expenses. Apply here, with some funds also targeted minorities and women owned businesses. https://coloradoenterprisefund.org/Boulder-County-SB-Grant
December 2023 and January 2024
Boulder Colorado accelerator, known as Techstars Boulder, is seeking applicants. They focus on Green Energy, tech companies, health care and other small businesses that need help. Get financial assistance, information on raising money or grants, coaching, technical help and more from the Accelerator. Find details here. https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/boulder
Larimer County Community Mitigation Grant Program is available. Businesses will get up to $10,000 to help them (1) prepare for a disaster or (2) recover from an event. The money needs to be spent in that fashion and learn more here. https://www.larimer.gov/emergency/community-mitigation-grant-program
Boulder area Premier Members Credit Union is providing non-profits free grants of up to $5,000. The non-profit / charity needs to focus on community issues, such as economic development, social causes, and similar issues with some funding also allocated to MWBE or veteran non-profit groups. Apply here. https://www.pmcu.org/pillars/gives/grants/
Aurora Colorado Small Business Equity Fund Program provides grant money for energy saving enhancements to qualified businesses. Up to $10,000 is provided to each businesses, including minority owned, for updates such as insulation, HVAC tune ups/repairs, LED lights, window caulking and more. Get details here. https://cdphe.colorado.gov/small-business-equity-fund
November 2023
Colorado Springs businesses can apply to the Survive and Thrive: Accelerate COS – Small Business Loan Fund program with applications accepted by Exponential Impact (XI). Anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 is offered, based on the age of the business and other factors. Funds are also for MWBE owned companies, and apply here. https://www.exponentialimpact.com/surviveandthrive
June and July 2023
Women’s Fund of Weld County CO is providing grants to non-profits that focus on helping women and girls. Up to $7,500 will be provided to each qualified non-profit. Applicants need to be focused on helping females in almost any capacity, and apply here to the Women’s Fund. https://www.weldwomensfund.org/
April and May 2023
Businesses in Denver can apply for the Certifiably Green Denver Equity Funding. This is a government grant program that will help businesses pay for energy efficiency to their company, such as water conservation, sustainable transportation, solar panels and other support. Most of the government money will be allocated to minority, women, or veteran owned companies in Denver for improvements., and they will take priority. Learn more here. https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Climate-Action-Sustainability-Resiliency/Resources-for-Businesses/Certifiably-Green-Denver
Cannabis Business Loan Program is for Colorado’s social equity cannabis companies. The state funds, which will be low or 0% interest rates, are intended to help companies grow at a faster rate. The money will be for expansions, real estate, production equipment, and other related expansion costs. The Cannabis Business Office (CBO) is administering the program. Get details here. https://oedit.colorado.gov/cannabis-business-office
Small Business Accelerated Growth Program as well as $8,000 grants as part of a Market Research Program are offered. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) provides the funds. In past years a majority of the money went to women owned, Black, Hispanic/Latino owned businesses. All applications for the free grants, as well as other resources, are in Spanish too. Apply here. https://oedit.colorado.gov/small-business-accelerated-growth
February 2023
City of Pueblo has grant money from the American Rescue Plan Act for small businesses in the city. Learn more here. At most $7,000 will be provided to qualified applicants. There will be some finds allocated to Native American owned businesses, women, veterans and others. Learn more, or apply here. https://county.pueblo.org/county-manager/non-profit-grants
January 2023
City of Fort Collins has a focused, limited grant program to help businesses that are based in a construction area. The money is intended to help businesses that have been impacted by both COVID and construction as well as ongoing capital improvements. Money will also be reserved for MWBE and veteran owned companies. A small, defined area is covered, and learn more on the free Fort Collins CO government grant program. https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7083937/Capital-Project-Assistance-Funding-Business-Application
October 2022 and November 2022
Denver (city and county) minority and women-owned businesses can apply for grants from the New Community Transformation Fund. The financial assistance is the result of money raised from Cannabis sales, however the city of Denver will help MWBE-owned businesses. The goal is to help small businesses in a wide variety of industries grow their sales, hire people, and expand in the Denver CO region. Learn more here. https://newcommunityfund.com/denver
Cannabis Business Grant can provide up to $50,000 to qualified small businesses, including minority, LGTBQ or women owned. Applicants also need to have a Social Equity License, have less than 6 employees, and agree to future growth and employment goals among other criteria. The free grants are for businesses in the Cannabis industry. Apply here. https://oedit.colorado.gov/cannabis-business-grant
August and September 2022
Colorado Startup Loan Fund is running until early next year. Lenders, banks, and non-profits will provide low cost, if not interest free micro-loans, to underserved businesses that often struggle to get capital. The goal is to help small businesses grow. There is a focus on minority, women, LGTBQ+, and veteran owned (or other underserved) businesses. Learn more here. https://oedit.colorado.gov/colorado-startup-loan-fund
Colorado State’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) is providing financial help, grants, loans, equity investments and more to businesses using federal government money from the State Small Business Credit Initiative. The money will be provided over the next few months. The funding is diverse, with a focus on underserved businesses including those owned by people of color, the LGTBQ+ community, women, veterans and others. Learn more here https://climber-colorado.com/ or https://oedit.colorado.gov/venture-capital-authority
June and July 2022
Boulder Colorado small businesses, including those that are black owned (women or men), LGTBQ+, women, and veterans can apply for free government grant money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will be provided (in total) to businesses that are trying to “recover” from the COVID pandemic. The funds are part of the American Rescue Plan Act. A priority is on MWBE and disadvantaged business owners as well as any business that is a service type company. Get details here. https://www.bouldercounty.org/government/budget-and-finance/american-rescue-plan-act-arpa/
April and May 2022
Women science, technology, and/or health care businesses can apply for the Colorado Small Business Development Center Accelerator program. It is known as the TechSource, and it will help small to mid-sized business grow faster-accelerate. This includes information on financial assistance (grants or loans), free consulting services, help with marketing, free legal aid, and so much more. There is financial support and ongoing advice to help women owned tech/science businesses. Learn more. https://sbdc-techsource.org/commercialization/tech-venture-accelerator-for-women-tvxw/
December 2021
Businesses owned by people of color can apply for low cost and/or interest free loans. The financial aid program is offered in partnership with Wells Fargo Open for Business Fund, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number Loan fund, and Colorado Enterprise as well as Chamber of Commerce. The money can be used as working capital, pay for technology upgrades or capital improvements, cover business expansion costs and more. Learn more on the resource here. https://coloradoenterprisefund.org/MBE-Services.
May 2021
The State of Colorado is backing a loan program for businesses impacted by the COVID pandemic. Loans of up to $500,000 are being offered, with priority for veterans, minority, LGBTQ, women and minority businesses in Colorado. However any small business can apply. The funds are part of Economic Recovery. Apply here. https://www.coloradosbdc.org/covid/
January 2021 and February 2021
Priority Neighborhood Small Business Fund is offered to some parts of the city. Denver Economic Development and Opportunity runs the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization program, and it helps smaller businesses in East Colfax, Elyria-Swansea, Globeville, Montbello, Northeast Park Hill, Sun Valley, Valverde, Villa Park, West Colfax and Westwood in Denver. Up to $1,000 grants are offered to businesses, including women and minority ones, in these parts of the city. Learn more https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Economic-Development-Opportunity
Small, service type businesses in Arapahoe County can apply for free grants, as there will be as much as $4 million offered. The funds are for minority and women owned businesses (among others). A focus is on bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theatres and “service” type small to mid sized businesses that have been impacted by COVID. It is a small business relief grant, and up to $7,000 can be issued to each businesses, including low income owners or minorities. Apply here. https://www.arapahoegov.com/2154/Small-Business-Relief-Fund-Grant
August 2020
Rural Colorado businesses along with those that are in Denver, and businesses are veteran, minority or female-owned can get help. There is also assistance for that are are owned by Latinos, Blacks, or people of color, they can all get financial help and other support. Free grants from Energize Colorado are offered to small businesses that have under 26 employees. There is also funding from the SheEO grant (for women companies), microloans, as well as the Entrepreneurial Dream Project grant and mentorship program. More details here. https://energizecolorado.com/
Boulder launching $700K small business grant. Business grants will be targeted to companies with fewer than 50 employees, those owned by women or people of color, or “agreement to enter into technical assistance programs, on-time tax remittance, local employment, and furthering of community sustainability goals.”. Free grants will be program will be administered through Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF). Learn more https://coloradoenterprisefund.org/
Energize Colorado Gap Fund looking to jump start smallest of small businesses, including female-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned and rural-based businesses in Colorado that are so small they have struggled to gain the attention of banks or access federal lending programs. Up to $35,0000 is being offered per applicant in a combination of loans as well as grants. Both for profits and non-profits in Colorado can apply, with priority given to People of Color, Indigenous, Black, Veterans, or Women owned majority businesses. Apply or learn more here. https://energizecolorado.com/gap-fund/ or Read more details https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/01/energize-colorado-gap-fund-looking-to-jump-start-smallest-of-small-businesses/
By Jon McNamara
