Small Business Grants in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's open state grants suit very different firms. WorkInvestNH pays half the cost of training your staff.
New Hampshire's open state grants suit very different firms. WorkInvestNH pays half the cost of training your staff. A request of $70,000 or more also needs a sign off from the Governor and Council. CDFA's Small Business Energy Audit Fund pays 75 percent of an energy audit for rural firms and farms. Neither sets a deadline. STEP pays back 80 percent of an export project, up to $8,000. Its current award period ends on 29 September 2026, and no later one is posted yet. The rest of the state money runs through two agencies, and not all of it is a grant, so each card says which it is. If you run a tourism body, the Joint Promotional Program has two FY2027 due dates left, 18 November 2026 and 27 January 2027.
Which New Hampshire grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 13 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.
New Hampshire Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to New Hampshire small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Microenterprise Program
Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA)
Up to $5,000 for equipment through REDC, while funds last
RollingSmall grants for very small firms. You reach them through a local partner, not the state. CDFA pays groups that train and advise owners of tiny firms on low or middle incomes. Some of those groups also hand out grants. The Regional Economic Development Center offers up to $5,000 for equipment or machinery. It is for a for-profit New Hampshire firm with five or fewer staff. CDFA's rules decide who qualifies, and REDC checks them when you apply. Money is limited and not promised, so ask if any is left.
WorkInvestNH Job Training Grant
New Hampshire Employment Security
50% of training costs, over $70,000 needs Governor and Council sign off
RollingPays half the cost of training your existing staff, and staff you hire before the training starts. You need a New Hampshire place of business and you must pay quarterly unemployment tax to the state. There is no published ceiling. Requests of $70,000 or more have to go to the Governor and Executive Council, which adds about three months. Budget 60 days from applying to a signed contract, and no training can start until that contract is signed. You pay first and claim half back. The training must finish within a year of the contract, and travel, lodging and meals are not covered.
Small Business Energy Audit Fund
Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA)
75% of the audit cost, CDFA publishes no cap
Rolling, first come first servedA small grant that pays to find out where your energy money goes. CDFA covers 75 percent of the cost of a full energy audit. It is for rural small businesses and farms in New Hampshire. The audit is meant to lead into efficiency or renewable work. You must be a for-profit business in good standing with a New Hampshire place of business. You must be small by the SBA size standard for your industry. You must also sit in a rural area on the USDA map, though farms skip that test. Funds cover commercial space only, and a mixed use building can claim the commercial share. Applications stay open all year and money goes first come, first served, so apply early in the year. CDFA does not publish an award cap.
CDBG Economic Development Grants
Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA)
Up to $500,000
RollingMoney for projects that create jobs. It can pay for land and buildings, commercial construction, equipment and staff training. The state awards it to towns, and a business benefits through its town.
Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program
Northern Border Regional Commission
Up to $1,000,000
RollingMoney for infrastructure, workforce and economic development projects in eligible northern New Hampshire counties. Towns and non-profits apply, not businesses. A project that spans several places can get up to $3 million.
New Hampshire Joint Promotional Program (JPP)
NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs
Varies
Deadline Nov 18, 2026Money for tourism marketing, for promotion both in and out of the state. Groups and organisations apply, not single firms. The FY2027 due dates left are 18 November 2026 and 27 January 2027.
CDFA Tax Credit Program
Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA)
Up to $5,000,000 annually (total pool)
RollingEach year CDFA awards about $5 million in tax credits to nonprofits for community projects. A New Hampshire business can buy those credits by giving to a funded project. It then gets a state tax credit worth 75 percent of the gift.
State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)
NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs
Up to $8,000 per STEP 12 award
Deadline Sep 29, 2026Reimburses up to 80% of export promotion costs, such as trade shows, marketing abroad, website translation and export advice. The current STEP 12 award period ends September 29, 2026. Your funded work must finish by then. Awards run up to $8,000. No later period is posted yet.
Paper and Pulp Manufacturing Industry Stabilization Program
NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs
Varies
Closed March 15, 2024, the programme has endedThis program has closed. Applications shut at 4pm on March 15, 2024, and awards went out that month. It was a one time payback for pulp, paper and paperboard makers. It covered equipment, building work, energy and clean up costs. It has not reopened.
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 New Hampshire grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire.
Women-owned Business Grants
No state grant here is women only. WomensNet gives three $10,000 Amber Grants a month to women-owned firms across the country. Three of its monthly winners take $50,000 at year end. The NH SBDC advises for free.
- ›WomensNet Amber Grant
- ›NH Small Business Development Center
Rural Business Grants
Start with the energy audit fund. CDFA pays 75 percent of an energy audit for rural firms. Farms skip the rural test. Northern counties sit inside the NBRC Catalyst Program, but a town or a non-profit applies for that, not a business.
- ›CDFA Small Business Energy Audit Fund
- ›NBRC Catalyst Program
Minority-owned Business Grants
No state grant here is minority only. CDBG microenterprise money can reach minority owners, through a local partner such as REDC. The federal MBDA runs business centres that advise and help with bids.
- ›CDBG Microenterprise Program, through your town
- ›Minority Business Development Agency
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
There is no state innovation grant. Federal SBIR and STTR money is the main door for research. The state Business Finance Authority backs venture funds instead. Two are Vox Health Fund and Millworks Fund II, both in life sciences and digital health.
- ›Federal SBIR and STTR programs
- ›NH Business Finance Authority
Tips for Applying in New Hampshire
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Get a State of New Hampshire vendor number before you apply for any state grant.
- 2CDBG microenterprise money reaches you through a local partner, not the state. Ask the Regional Economic Development Center or your town whether any is left.
- 3Call the NH Small Business Development Center first. The advising is free and an adviser will sharpen your application.
- 4For STEP, get your quotes and export budget together before you apply. Trade show costs and marketing quotes are what they ask for.
- 5Apply early in the year. CDFA works through its online system and its deadlines are 4pm sharp.
State Economic Development Agency
New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA)
BEA is the state's main contact for businesses. It runs the export grant, the tourism marketing grant and the northern border grants, along with housing and broadband money.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in New Hampshire can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. STEP pays back 80 percent of an export project, up to $8,000. Its current award period ends on 29 September 2026. WorkInvestNH pays half the cost of training your staff, with no published ceiling. CDFA's Small Business Energy Audit Fund covers 75 percent of an energy audit for rural firms and farms. None of the three is repaid. CDBG microenterprise grants come through local partners such as REDC.
For exporters it is STEP. It pays back 80 percent of a project, up to $8,000, until its award period ends on 29 September 2026. For anyone training staff it is WorkInvestNH, which covers half the bill. Rural firms and farms should look at the energy audit fund. People name the CDBG microenterprise grant most often. You do not apply to the state for it. You apply to a local partner, such as the Regional Economic Development Center, which offers up to $5,000 for equipment.
No. STEP, WorkInvestNH and the energy audit fund are open to any eligible New Hampshire business, whoever owns it. Certification can help with some federal programmes and with the MBDA business centres, but no state grant here asks for it.
Plan on 60 to 120 days. WorkInvestNH says 60 days from applying to a signed contract, and about three months more if you ask for $70,000 or over, because that needs the Governor and Council. STEP and the energy audit fund both pay on reimbursement, so you spend first and claim it back. CDFA runs its applications through an online system with hard 4pm deadlines.
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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