Small Business Grants in Michigan
Michigan runs its small business money through MEDC and its local partners. Not all of it is a grant.
Michigan runs its small business money through MEDC and its local partners. Not all of it is a grant. Motor City Match is Detroit only, its Round 33 closed on October 1, 2026, and you can watch motorcitymatch.com for Round 34 dates. MI-STEP pays exporters back up to $15,000 a year and it is between rounds, with FY27 applications opening on October 15. Match on Main and the Industry 4.0 grant are both closed. Each card below carries its type and its status.
Which Michigan 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.
Michigan Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Michigan small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Michigan State Trade Expansion Program (MI-STEP)
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Up to $15,000 annually (75% reimbursement)
FY27 applications open October 15, 2026 and run to September 15, 2027A reimbursement grant worth up to $15,000 a fiscal year for exporting work, trade shows, international sales trips, shipping product samples, compliance testing and marketing abroad. It pays back 75 percent of pre-approved costs. MEDC takes applications from October 15 to September 15 each year, so the FY26 window closed on September 15, 2026 and FY27 opens on October 15. Three things decide whether you actually get paid. Your application has to reach MEDC at least five business days before the activity starts, and MEDC asks for ten. Approval has to be in hand before you spend. Reimbursements run first come first served while the money lasts, whatever your approval says. You also need at least $100,000 in gross annual revenue, a year in business, and goods of US origin or at least 51 percent US content.
Motor City Match
Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC)
$25,000 - $100,000
Round 33 closed October 1, 2026. Next round dates not yet publishedProvides gap funding grants to entrepreneurs opening or expanding brick-and-mortar businesses in Detroit. The programme reports $21 million awarded across 30 rounds, 2,236 businesses served since 2016 and 203 businesses opened.
SSBCI Technical Assistance Grant Program
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Free services (funded by $5.2 million federal allocation)
No deadline, you contact a provider directlyFree legal, accounting and financial advisory help for small businesses, delivered by nine provider organisations the state funded, and aimed at businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people. There is no application to the state and there never was. The state ran one competitive round in October 2023 to choose the nine providers, and a business gets the help by contacting one of them directly, among them ACCESS, Michigan Women Forward, Northern Initiatives and Prosperus Detroit Micro Lending.
Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Program
Michigan Strategic Fund / MEDC
$30,000 - $250,000
Varies by Innovation HubFunds translational research projects with high commercial potential through five Innovation Hubs in life sciences, advanced transportation, advanced materials, ag-bio, and advanced computing. Open to researchers at Michigan public universities and nonprofit research centers.
Match on Main Grant Program
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Up to $25,000
FY26 window ran March 1 to April 24, 2026 and awards were announced in June 2026. Next window not yet publishedA reimbursement grant program supporting new or expanding place-based businesses in Certified Redevelopment Ready or Michigan Main Street communities. Funds cover interior and exterior renovations and working capital.
Small Business Support Hubs
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Varies by hub region
Deadline Jun 1, 2026A statewide network of 27 regional hubs providing programming, mentoring, and direct business assistance grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Backed by $11.3 million in state funding for the next phase.
Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Up to $25,000 (50% reimbursement)
Closed. MEDC states the application is currently closedProvides 50% reimbursement for qualifying Industry 4.0 technology costs to small manufacturers. Eligible technologies include AI, robotics, additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.
Trusted Connector Grant Program
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
Up to $250,000 per organization
Between rounds, the last awards were FY25 and no new window is publishedGrants to chambers of commerce and member based organisations that support under represented small businesses and tech based founders. A business never applies, the connector organisation does. The most recent round awarded $6.8 million to 23 organisations in May 2025, chosen from 44 applicants competing for a fixed pool. The state has published no FY26 or FY27 round, and the programme has no page of its own in the current programme navigation.
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 Michigan grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Michigan 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 Michigan.
Women-owned Business Grants
SSBCI technical assistance reaches women-owned firms. The Great Lakes Women's Business Council and Michigan Women Forward deliver it. It is advice, not cash. Motor City Match reports that 70 percent of its grant winners are women-owned. That is the one with money attached.
- ›SSBCI Technical Assistance Grant Program
- ›Motor City Match
- ›Michigan Women Forward
Minority-owned Business Grants
Michigan puts real weight here. SSBCI technical assistance providers include the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance. So does the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. Motor City Match awards 85 percent of its grants to minority-owned businesses. It is the live one. The Trusted Connector grant sat alongside it, and MEDC has closed that.
- ›Motor City Match
- ›SSBCI Technical Assistance Grant Program
Veteran-owned Business Grants
Michigan has no veteran grant. MEDC loan programs reach veterans who cannot get bank finance. The National Veteran Business Development Council was a Trusted Connector recipient here. That program is now closed too.
- ›MEDC Capital Access Programs
- ›National Veteran Business Development Council
Rural Business Grants
The Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula lean on Small Business Support Hubs. USDA's Rural Business Development Grant reaches them too. It goes through the town or a nonprofit, because for profit firms cannot apply. Match on Main aimed at smaller downtowns. Its 2026 round is done.
- ›Small Business Support Hubs
- ›Match on Main
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
MTRAC runs through five Innovation Hubs, and SmartZones sit alongside it. Manufacturers have less than they did. MEDC closed the Industry 4.0 grant. The SSBCI venture capital program holds up to $75 million for early-stage technology firms. That is equity, not a grant.
- ›MTRAC Program
- ›SSBCI Small Business Venture Capital Program
Tips for Applying in Michigan
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Get a Certificate of Good Standing from LARA first. Every MEDC program asks for it.
- 2Call the Michigan SBDC on 833-522-0025, or find your nearest Small Business Support Hub. Both are free. They will tell you which programs you actually qualify for.
- 3Most MEDC grants reimburse, MI-STEP among them. You cover the cost first. Get approval before you spend, because unapproved spending is not eligible.
- 4Check MEDC's SmartZone map. Your address may qualify you for incentives you have not heard of.
- 5Write a real budget, a timeline and the outcomes you expect. MEDC scoring leans hard on clear plans with community or economic impact.
State Economic Development Agency
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
MEDC is Michigan's lead economic development agency. It runs the grants, the capital access programs and the workforce support on this page. Call it first.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Michigan can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, though fewer than most Michigan guides suggest. Motor City Match in Detroit awards cash grants from $25,000 to $100,000 or more, and Round 33 runs to October 1, 2026. MI-STEP reimburses exporters 75 percent of export costs up to $15,000 a year, but it is between rounds and reopens on October 15. Match on Main and the Industry 4.0 grant were the two easy answers here, and MEDC has closed both. Most MEDC grants reimburse, so you pay first and claim afterwards.
For Detroit businesses it is Motor City Match, which has awarded $21 million to 2,236 businesses since 2016 and opens Round 33 on September 1, 2026. Statewide the honest answer is thinner. Match on Main was the programme most Michigan guides named and it is closed, which leaves MI-STEP for exporters, and that reopens on October 15. MEDC closed the Industry 4.0 grant too, so manufacturers are down to the federal SBIR and STTR programmes.
No. Michigan grant programmes including MI-STEP and Motor City Match are open to all eligible small businesses regardless of who owns them. The SSBCI Technical Assistance programme does prioritise businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Certification through the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council or Michigan Women Forward is not required for any of these, though it opens doors to other resources and contracting networks.
Timelines vary. MI-STEP runs an annual window, October 15 to September 15, and it is handled by the MEDC International Trade team, and approval has to come before you spend the money you want reimbursed. Motor City Match runs competitive rounds, and Round 33 closes on October 1, 2026 with applicants notified by December 31. Because most Michigan grants are reimbursement based, the money arrives only after you finish the project and submit proof of eligible spending, so plan on two to six months from application to funds.
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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