Small Business Grants in Colorado
Most small business funding in Colorado is administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Read each card first.
Most small business funding in Colorado is administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Read each card first. The cards say which is which, and what is open. The Advanced Industries Accelerator is the biggest prize for tech firms, at up to $250,000. It covers aerospace, bioscience and energy. OEDIT also runs growth and workforce training grants, plus the Minority Business Office.
Which Colorado grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 12 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.
Colorado Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Colorado small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Advanced Industries Export Accelerator Grant
OEDIT Global Business Development
Up to $15,000
RollingReimburses up to 50% of international business development and marketing costs for small and medium-sized businesses in Colorado's seven advanced industries. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.
Skill Advance Colorado Job Training Grant
OEDIT and Colorado Community College System
Up to $150,000 per application
RollingProvides customized job training grants for new hires (Colorado First) and incumbent workers (Existing Industry) at Colorado businesses. Funding is capped at $200,000 per grantee per fiscal year.
Apply / Learn MoreEnterprise Zone Tax Credits
OEDIT Business Funding and Incentives
$1,100 per net new employee (up to $3,100 in enhanced rural zones)
RollingOffers state income tax credits for businesses in economically distressed areas, including credits for new hires, investment in business property, job training, and R&D expenditures.
Advanced Industries Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grant
OEDIT Global Business Development
Up to $250,000
Between rounds, the office opens applications twice a yearUp to $250,000 for a Colorado advanced industries company that has a working prototype and needs capital to reach market or stay in the state. The office opens applications twice a year, January to March and July to September. The July window carried a deadline of August 27, 2026 at 5 p.m. Mountain Time, which has passed, so the next chance is the January window. Review takes ten to twelve weeks. Matching funds are expected, though a business without them can still apply and may receive a conditional award. A past recipient may reapply only for a different technology, never a continuation.
Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant
OEDIT Global Business Development
Up to $150,000
Between rounds, and you cannot apply to this one directlyThis one is not open to your business directly. The project must originate from an approved Colorado research institution or federal laboratory, and the application goes in through that institution's technology transfer office rather than from you. If you are a founder with university or national lab research behind your product, contact that technology transfer office and ask to be sponsored. The office runs two windows a year, January to March and July to September, and the July window closed on August 27, 2026.
Small Business Accelerated Growth Program
OEDIT Business Support
$5,000
Programme retired, it is not coming backThis programme has finished. It was built with pandemic recovery money and made its last awards in early 2024, 326 grants totalling about $1.78 million. The office has taken its page down. It is listed here only so that a founder who finds it in an old article or a grant directory can see that it is gone rather than keep hunting for the application.
Advanced Industries Collaborative Infrastructure Grant
OEDIT Global Business Development
Up to $500,000
Deadline Mar 31, 2026Helps teams of Colorado-based advanced industries technology businesses and nonprofits develop new large-scale projects. Requires a 2-to-1 match of non-state to state funding.
Business Foundations Technical Assistance Program
OEDIT Minority Business Office
Up to $1,200
Programme retired, it no longer appears on the office siteThis programme has finished. It paid up to $1,200 to businesses that completed the Minority Business Office training, and it no longer appears anywhere on that office's site or in any current listing. The office itself is very much running and still offers free consulting and certification help, so it is worth contacting for that even though this grant has gone.
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 Colorado grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Colorado 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 Colorado.
Women-owned Business Grants
Colorado's Minority Business Office provides free consulting, certification pathways, and grant programs specifically for women-owned businesses. The grant it used to run alongside that support, the Small Business Accelerated Growth Program, made its last awards in early 2024, so the office is now worth approaching for the consulting and certification help rather than for money.
- ›Minority Business Office
- ›Small Business Accelerated Growth Program
- ›Pathway to Certifications
Minority-owned Business Grants
OEDIT's Minority Business Office works to increase economic opportunity for minority entrepreneurs through consulting, and the Bid Advance Response Program for government contracting, though its Business Foundations grant has been retired. The Minority Business Directory helps connect certified businesses with contract opportunities.
- ›Minority Business Office
- ›Business Foundations Technical Assistance Program
- ›Minority Business Directory
Veteran-owned Business Grants
Veteran-owned businesses in Colorado can access resources through OEDIT's Minority Business Office, which serves minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs. The Veterans Business Outreach Center provides entrepreneurial development services including training and counseling.
- ›Minority Business Office
- ›Veterans Business Outreach Center
Rural Business Grants
Colorado has significant rural business support, with 54 of 64 counties classified as non-metro. The Rural Jump-Start Tax Credit provides tax relief for new businesses in economically distressed rural areas. Enterprise Zone credits offer additional incentives in designated rural communities.
- ›Rural Jump-Start Tax Credit
- ›Enterprise Zone Program
- ›OEDIT Rural Opportunity Office
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Colorado's Advanced Industries Accelerator Program offers five distinct grant programs for businesses in aerospace, bioscience, advanced manufacturing, electronics, energy, infrastructure engineering, and technology. Grants range from $15,000 to $500,000. The SBDC TechSource program helps tech businesses access SBIR/STTR federal grants.
- ›Advanced Industries Accelerator Program
- ›SBDC TechSource
- ›Venture Capital Authority
Tips for Applying in Colorado
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Visit OEDIT's Programs and Funding page at oedit.colorado.gov/programs-and-funding and filter by your business type, industry, and location to find matching programs.
- 2For Advanced Industries grants, create an account on OEDIT's application portal early since new user activation can take several days.
- 3Connect with your local Colorado SBDC advisor for free, confidential one-on-one guidance. Colorado has 14 full-time service centers and over 25 satellite centers covering all 64 counties.
- 4If you are a minority, woman, or veteran business owner, contact the Minority Business Office at 303-892-3840 to learn about certification pathways that can unlock government contracting and additional grant opportunities.
- 5For Advanced Industries Early-Stage Capital grants, prepare matching funds documentation. You need $2 in non-state matching funds for every $1 in grant funding requested.
State Economic Development Agency
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT)
OEDIT promotes economic growth and long-term job creation by supporting small businesses, providing grants and incentives, and encouraging business expansion across Colorado.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Colorado can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Colorado offers several true grant programs that do not need to be repaid. The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program provides grants up to $250,000 for technology businesses in sectors like aerospace, bioscience, and energy. Be careful with older lists, though. The two small easy ones people still recommend have both gone. The Small Business Accelerated Growth Program made its final awards in early 2024 and its page has been taken down, and the Business Foundations Technical Assistance Program no longer appears anywhere on the Minority Business Office site.
The Advanced Industries programme, which is the state flagship and the one still running. It opens twice a year, January to March and July to September, and the Early-Stage Capital and Retention grant inside it pays up to $250,000. The programme most articles name, the Small Business Accelerated Growth Program, closed after its final round in early 2024, so treat any page that still recommends it as out of date.
Most Colorado grant programs do not require minority or women-owned certification. The Advanced Industries grants and the Skill Advance training grants are open to all eligible businesses. However, getting certified through OEDIT's Minority Business Office Pathway to Certifications can help you access government contracting opportunities and specialized programs like the Bid Advance Response Program.
Timelines vary by program. For Advanced Industries grants, applications go through a multi-stage expert review process, with final recommendations approved by the Economic Development Commission. This process typically takes 3 to 4 months from application deadline to award announcement. The Export Accelerator Grant has a faster turnaround of 3 to 4 weeks from submission. Contact your local Colorado SBDC office for help planning your application timeline.
About the Author
Senior Finance & Banking Editor
Richard is the veteran anchor of the site's financial content. Raised in the Midwest and starting his career in Chicago's commercial banking sector, he spent over a decade underwriting small business loans before moving into financial journalism. He doesn't get swept up in startup hype; he cares about unit economics, APYs, and fee structures.
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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.
Questions about Colorado small business grants
2 comments
Dale H.
September 15, 2026
Nearly everything with real money attached here says advanced industries. Is that a formal list somewhere, or is it a judgement call by whoever reads the application?
Richard MooreStartupOwl team
Senior Finance & Banking Editor · September 16, 2026
It is a formal list, not a judgement call. Colorado defines seven advanced industries in statute, and the programmes on this page carrying the largest amounts are all gated on being inside one of them. If your business does not sit in one, those grants are closed no matter how strong the application, so it is the first thing to check rather than the last. The state's economic development office publishes the definitions and the examples that go with them. What is worth knowing is that the boundaries are broader than the names suggest, and a manufacturer supplying one of those sectors can sometimes qualify on what it actually makes rather than on what it calls itself. Read the definition properly before assuming you are out.
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