Small Business Grants in Arkansas
AEDC handles most small business funding in Arkansas. Its Division of Science and Technology holds the grant money.
AEDC handles most small business funding in Arkansas. Its Division of Science and Technology holds the grant money. The mix matters here. Each card names its funding type and status. Tech firms get the most. The SBIR Matching Grant adds up to $100,000 to a federal award. Everyone else has the Office of Skills Development training grants. Those repay 50 to 75 percent of staff training costs.
Which Arkansas grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 10 programs on this page into likely fits and long shots. Nothing personal is asked or stored, and final eligibility is always decided by the granting agency.
Arkansas Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Arkansas small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Arkansas SBIR Matching Grant Program
AEDC Division of Science and Technology
Up to $50,000 (Phase I) or $100,000 (Phase II)
RollingProvides discretionary matching grants of up to 50% of federal SBIR Phase I and Phase II awards to eligible Arkansas technology businesses. You must first secure a federal SBIR award to qualify.
Arkansas Business and Technology Accelerator Grant Program
AEDC Division of Science and Technology
Up to $250,000
RollingA discretionary grant of up to $250,000 to an established Arkansas technology company that sponsors an accelerator programme mentoring start-up companies. The applicant is the sponsoring company, not the start-ups it mentors, and it must be registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State and working in a targeted sector such as manufacturing, software, biotech or agriculture. Review is rolling and tied to board meeting cycles rather than a published window.
Office of Skills Development (OSD) Training Grants
Arkansas Office of Skills Development
Varies (reimburses 50%–75% of training costs)
RollingOSD pays back part of what you spend training staff. Grow Our Own grants, for businesses with 250 or fewer employees, and Customized Technical grants repay up to 75 percent of allowable costs. Professional Development grants repay up to 50 percent, capped at $50,000 a year. Timing is the catch. Apply no more than 30 days before the training and no later than the day it starts. Training has to finish within six months, and review takes one to three weeks.
Apply / Learn MoreTechnology Development Program (TDP)
AEDC Division of Science and Technology
Up to $100,000
RollingProvides royalty financing for qualified science and technology projects with economic and employment growth potential in Arkansas. The program has been used to bridge SBIR Phase I and II funding gaps, create prototypes, and validate university technology.
Technology Transfer Assistance Grant (TTAG) Program
AEDC Division of Science and Technology
Up to $3,750 awarded (on projects up to $5,000)
Rolling, reviewed every two weeksA matching grant that helps move a new technology into an Arkansas business. AEDC pays up to $3,750 on a project costing up to $5,000. It covers the first $2,500 and half of the next $2,500. The award goes to the provider doing the transfer, such as a lab, college or private firm, not to your business. The exception is a firm that can do the transfer itself, which AEDC decides case by case. Each business can get help with two projects a state fiscal year.
Community Assistance Grant Program (CAGP)
Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Up to $1,500,000 per project
Deadline Aug 15, 2026Provides grant funds to cities, counties, and nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that reduce poverty, promote self-sufficiency, and revitalize communities. Requires a flexible 20% match from the applicant.
Federal Grant Programs
These federal programs are available to small businesses in every state.
SBA 7(a) Loan Program
The SBA's primary lending program guarantees loans through participating lenders. This is a loan, not a grant. But the terms favor small businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing.
Learn moreSBA Microloan Program
Loans up to $50,000, not grants. You borrow from a nonprofit lender near you, not from the SBA itself. The money can cover working capital, inventory, supplies or equipment. Most people get far less than the cap. The average microloan is about $13,000.
Learn moreSBIR/STTR Grants
Competitive federal grants for small businesses doing research and development with commercial potential. Eleven federal agencies take part. Phase I funds proof of concept. Phase II funds full development.
Learn moreMinority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Programs
Help for minority owned businesses that need capital, contracts or new markets. MBDA runs business centers around the country. They give advice, help with bids, and point you toward lenders.
Learn moreGet Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most Arkansas grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Arkansas grant programs require applicants to be a registered LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. If you haven't formed yet, that's the first step.
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, and more.
Get your EIN
An Employer Identification Number is free from the IRS and required on nearly every grant application. You can apply online and receive it immediately.
Open a business bank account
Grant funds need to go into a dedicated business account, not your personal checking. Most agencies will ask for your banking details on the application.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Grants by Business Type
Targeted programs for specific business owners in Arkansas.
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Arkansas backs technology hardest. The SBIR Matching Grant adds up to $100,000 to a federal award. It pays on reimbursement. The Accelerator Grant runs to $250,000, but the applicant is the accelerator, not the startup. The Technology Development Program puts up to $100,000 in. That one is royalty financing, so you pay it back.
- ›SBIR Matching Grant Program
- ›Business and Technology Accelerator Grant
- ›Technology Development Program
Rural Business Grants
Rural money here reaches towns, not firms. The Community Assistance Grant Program pays up to $1.5 million a project. Only cities, counties and nonprofits can apply. Its 2026 round closed August 15. USDA Rural Business Development Grants are the same shape. Towns, tribes and nonprofits apply, never you.
- ›Community Assistance Grant Program
- ›AEDC Division of Rural Services
Women-owned Business Grants
Arkansas runs no state grant for women owners. The ASBTDC Lab2Launch Accelerator does target them for SBIR and STTR help. That is free advice, not money. National programs fill the gap. The Amber Grant awards $10,000 a month to women-owned businesses.
- ›ASBTDC Lab2Launch Accelerator
- ›Amber Grants for Women
Tips for Applying in Arkansas
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Register with the Arkansas Secretary of State first. Good standing is a requirement for most AEDC programs.
- 2Get the federal SBIR award before you ask Arkansas to match it. The ASBTDC helps with the proposal for free, through Lab2Launch.
- 3Call AEDC on 501-682-7329 before you write anything. Many of its grants are discretionary and depend on funding being there.
- 4Check the target sector list. AEDC limits its science and technology money to six activities, from advanced manufacturing to bio-based products.
- 5For OSD training grants, work with your local community college or workforce centre. OSD wants documented expenses before it reimburses.
State Economic Development Agency
Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC)
AEDC sits inside the Department of Commerce. It runs the state's grant and incentive programs for business. Its Division of Science and Technology holds the grant money.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Arkansas can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, a few. The SBIR Matching Grant adds up to $100,000 to a federal research award. The Accelerator Grant pays up to $250,000, but to a company that runs a start-up programme, not to the start-ups. The Office of Skills Development pays back up to 75 percent of staff training costs. The Technology Transfer Assistance Grant pays up to $3,750, usually to the lab or college moving a technology into your firm. Most of the rest is a loan, royalty money or a grant to a town.
The most accessible grant for Arkansas small businesses is the Office of Skills Development (OSD) Training Grant, which funds workforce development across all industry sectors. For technology-focused businesses, the SBIR Matching Grant Program is the most impactful, providing state matching funds of up to $50,000 for Phase I and $100,000 for Phase II to businesses that have secured federal SBIR awards.
No. Most Arkansas state grant programs administered by AEDC do not require minority or women-owned business certification. Eligibility is typically based on your business sector (such as technology, manufacturing, or agriculture) and registration status with the Arkansas Secretary of State. However, the ASBTDC's federally funded FAST program does prioritize outreach to woman-owned, rural-based, and socially or economically disadvantaged small businesses for SBIR/STTR assistance.
Timelines vary by program. AEDC discretionary grants such as the Business and Technology Accelerator Grant go through a multi-step review by the Division of Science and Technology and the AEDC Executive Director, which can take several weeks to months. SBIR Matching Grants require you to first obtain a federal SBIR award, which itself takes 6 to 12 months. OSD Training Grants operate on a reimbursement basis, so funds are disbursed after you complete and document eligible training expenses.
About the Author
Business Formation Researcher
Eliot leads StartupOwl's state data research. He maintains the site's fifty state records of LLC filing fees, annual costs, processing times, and small business grant programs, checking each figure against the state office that publishes it and logging the date it was verified. Based in New Jersey, he has spent his working life in and around small businesses, and he writes for the founder who wants the real number rather than the advertised one. Every figure under his byline traces to a named source, and when a state proves a number wrong, the correction is published, not buried.
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Grant programs change frequently. Deadlines, eligibility requirements, and funding amounts listed here may be outdated. Always verify information directly with the granting agency before applying. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.
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