Find free grants or loans for your business below. There are funds allocated to women, Latino, LGBTQ, Black, veteran and other minority owned businesses in New York. Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and start up companies may be able to get financing from a number of lenders. Find free MWBE grants and loans in NY from lenders, corporations, banks, non-profits and agencies that may be near you.
The loans and/or grants for calendar year 2024 are for any small to medium sized business that meets the lenders application criteria. However each of the programs listed below will allocate some (or all) of the funds to women and/or minority owned businesses in New York state. Not only may capital be given to the small business owner, including MWBE and BIPOC, but the organizations also give other support. This may include, but is not limited too, free mentoring, technical support, help creating business plans, networking advice and so much more. All of this assistance will be free.
There are business loans and free grants across the state. There are options in the New York City area as well as major citizens of Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and other cities or towns. Minority owned (or run companies) as well as women and veteran can apply for financial aid and counseling from an agency near them.
Find business loans as well as free grants for women or minorities in New York
The list of resources below is updated daily. Everything from grants, free counseling, microloans, financing and more may be offered. As noted, priority is given to disadvantaged groups in New York. This may include veterans, Black owned businesses, Latinos, women run companies and others.
December and January 2025
Utica NY women and minority owned businesses can get free small business grants from the Department of Urban & Economic Development. Several grants will be issued, with a total of $165,000 to be provided in total. The money will come from the Community Development Block Grant that the development is running, and get details here. https://cityofutica.com/departments/urban-and-economic-development/index
Non-profits that focus on environmental issues, in particular conservation, can apply for $50,000 grants from the Nature Conservancy. It is a project based financial assistance program known as the Climate Resilience Grant Program. The state of NY and Nature Conservancy are partners on it, and get more details here. https://www.nature.org/en-us/
By Jon McNamara
