Small Business Grants in North Dakota
North Dakota funds grants by the biennium. This is the back half of the 2025 to 2027 cycle, so most windows are shut and the $4 million tourism round is fully awarded.
Which North Dakota 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.
North Dakota Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to North Dakota small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Technical Skills Training Grant
North Dakota Department of Commerce, Workforce Development Division
Up to $200,000 per track, 1 to 1 match
RollingOffsets costs for employers and training providers developing accelerated workforce training programs. Three tracks cover new training programs (Track A), internal upskilling (Track B), and workforce automation enhancement (Track C).
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Technical Skills Training Grant page. Applications are open with no closing date. Track A pays up to $200,000 for a new training program, Track B up to $100,000 to upskill your own staff, and Track C up to $200,000 for automation training plus up to $100,000 for a feasibility study. Every track needs a dollar for dollar match, and the jobs you train for must sit on the state In Demand Occupations list.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Rural Catalyst Grant
North Dakota Department of Commerce
Up to $500,000 per project
ClosedSupports quality of life improvement and economic development projects in rural communities. Awards require a one-for-one community non-state match. All available funds under the current cycle have been distributed.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Department of Commerce. Applications closed April 15, 2026 and every dollar under SB 2390 has been awarded. Commerce called that the final round, so there is no window to wait for.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Autonomous Agriculture Grant Program
North Dakota Department of Commerce
Up to $7,500,000
ClosedCompetitive funding to support transformative autonomous agriculture projects, including ag-tech commercialization, workforce training, unmanned systems, and precision equipment deployment. Must have a permanent presence in North Dakota.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Department of Commerce. The 2025 request for proposals closed October 2, 2025 and the money went to Greenfield Robotics and Grand Farm. No new round has been announced.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Innovate ND Grant Program
North Dakota Department of Commerce
Up to $50,000 in reimbursable expenses
Deadline May 14, 2026A two-phase voucher reimbursement program offering up to $25,000 per phase. Provides hands-on coaching through four regional entrepreneur centers to help you validate your product, develop your business model, and identify customers.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Innovate ND program page. The application window is closed. The last round opened April 21 and closed May 14, 2026, and the review panel met June 17. Commerce runs quarterly windows, so the next one is worth watching. Retail, hospitality and local service businesses are not eligible.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Destination Development Grant (DDG)
North Dakota Department of Commerce
Awards of $75,000 to $1.5M in the 2026 round
ClosedFunds the development or expansion of tourism attractions that strengthen North Dakota's economy. Requires a 1-to-1 match (cash or in-kind). For-profit businesses, nonprofits, and tourism entities are eligible.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Destination Development Grant page. The application window is closed. The legislature put $15 million behind the program for 2025 to 2027 and $4 million of it went out in the 2026 round, which drew 103 applications from 61 communities. Funding for the next round is set after the 2027 legislative session.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Native American Small Business Support Program
North Dakota Department of Commerce
$10,000 - $600,000
ClosedProvides flexible awards to support the growth, sustainability, and competitiveness of Native American-owned small businesses. Applicants must be at least 51% Native American-owned, for-profit, with fewer than 500 employees.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The $600,000 has been awarded to 15 businesses and no new round is posted. Winners must spend the money by June 30, 2027.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Rural Grocery Store Sustainability Grant
North Dakota Department of Commerce
Closed, $1,000,000 was the total appropriation, not a per store award
ClosedThis is a state appropriation, not an award you can apply for at that size. The $1,000,000 figure is the TOTAL money set aside for the whole pilot, shared across every recipient, and a single rural grocery store would receive a small fraction of it. North Dakota Commerce was still writing the guidelines when we last checked. Ask Commerce for the per applicant cap before planning around any number on this page.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Department of Commerce. All $1 million appropriated for this pilot is committed, so there is nothing left to apply for in this biennium.
Last verified, Aug 6, 2026
Operation Intern
North Dakota Department of Commerce, Workforce Development Division
Up to $5,000 per intern, $50,000 per biennium
WaitlistMatches what you pay an intern or apprentice, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000 per placement. An employer can claim up to $25,000 per funding round and $50,000 per biennium, across a maximum of five interns per round.
Status check, Verified July 24, 2026 at the Operation Intern program page. Every dollar for this funding year has been applied for, so new applicants join a waitlist in case an award goes unused. Each biennium has two funding rounds, and the program favours energy, advanced manufacturing, value added agriculture, tourism, technology and autonomous systems employers. North Dakota also allows an income tax credit worth 10 percent of what you pay the intern.
Last verified, Aug 6, 2026
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.
Status check, This is a loan program, not a grant. The 7(a) Loan Program provides loan guarantees to lenders for small business loans up to $5 million. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis through participating SBA lenders.
Learn moreLast verified, Aug 3, 2026
SBA 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.
Status check, Verified July 30, 2026 at sba.gov. Rates run 8 to 13 percent. The longest term allowed is seven years. Your lender sets both, not the SBA, so two owners can be quoted very different deals. There is no deadline. You apply through an SBA approved lender in your area.
Learn moreLast verified, Jul 30, 2026
SBIR/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.
Status check, Verified July 30, 2026 at sbir.gov. Two different figures get quoted for this program and both are real. As of April 2026 an agency may award up to $323,090 at Phase I and up to $2,153,927 at Phase II without SBA approval, and anything above that needs a waiver. Those are ceilings, not typical awards. Each agency sets its own amounts in its own solicitation, and the sbir.gov agency table currently runs from $50,000 to $300,000 at Phase I and $400,000 to $1.83 million at Phase II. There is no single deadline. You apply through a participating agency.
Learn moreLast verified, Jul 30, 2026
Minority 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.
Status check, The business centers still run. The grants are a different story. Those windows are short, and they fund groups rather than single businesses. The last one we could find closed in February 2025. We found no open MBDA grant that a small business can apply for today.
View program pageLast verified, Jul 29, 2026
The calendar explains more than the list. Here is every North Dakota state program on this page, plotted against the two year funding cycle it sits inside, with the one open window in gold.
Get Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most North Dakota grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most North Dakota 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 North Dakota.
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Innovate ND is the main door for scalable startups. It pays back up to $50,000 across two phases and runs quarterly windows. The window is shut right now. Retail, hospitality, and local service businesses are not eligible, which surprises a lot of applicants.
- ›Innovate ND Grant Program
- ›Autonomous Agriculture Grant Program
Rural Business Grants
Rural money here goes mostly to towns. Companies are rarely the applicant. The Rural Catalyst Grant awarded its final round in April 2026. The Rural Grocery Store pilot has committed all $1 million. USDA Rural Business Development Grants do not take for profit businesses at all, so a rural founder is usually better served by the workforce programs.
- ›Rural Catalyst Grant
- ›Rural Grocery Store Sustainability Grant
Minority-owned Business Grants
The Native American Small Business Support Program put $600,000 into 15 businesses. Awards ran from $10,000 to $600,000. Owners had to hold at least 51 percent and stay under 500 staff. The round is closed. Funds must be spent by June 30, 2027.
- ›Native American Small Business Support Program
- ›NDDOT DBE Certification
Women-owned Business Grants
North Dakota runs no women only grant. The North Dakota Women's Business Center is one of the four Innovate ND entrepreneur centers. It coaches applicants through the same program everyone else uses, and it tracks private grant openings.
- ›North Dakota Women's Business Center
- ›ND SBDC
Veteran-owned Business Grants
There is no veteran only grant here. The Veteran Business Outreach Center of the Dakotas at UND gives free advice on financing and applications. Veterans apply to the same state programs as everyone else.
- ›VBOC of the Dakotas
- ›ND SBDC
Tips for Applying in North Dakota
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Time your application to the biennium. The state funds these programs in two year blocks. By the second summer most pots are committed, so the first half of an odd numbered year is the strongest time to apply.
- 2Call the ND SBDC first (https://und.edu/ndsbdc/). Advising is free and private, and the office has seen the scoring sheets that decide your application.
- 3Register with the Secretary of State. Most state programs want an entity in good standing, and Innovate ND checks it when you apply.
- 4Read the scoring criteria line by line. Innovate ND scores your plan, your team, your market evidence, and your North Dakota impact. Write to those headings.
- 5Expect a match. The Technical Skills Training Grant wants a dollar from you for every dollar it gives.
State Economic Development Agency
North Dakota Department of Commerce
Coordinates nearly 50 programs and services to support business, workforce, and community development across North Dakota.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in North Dakota can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
One state program takes applications today. The Technical Skills Training Grant is open, with up to $200,000 per track. You match it dollar for dollar. It pays for training, not for gear or rent. SBIR and STTR run all year for research heavy startups. The rest of this page is closed, awarded, or waiting on the 2027 legislature.
Yes. For most state programs the LLC applies, not you. Commerce asks that the business be registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State. Innovate ND goes further. It takes only businesses that can scale toward primary sector certification. Retail shops, restaurants, and local service firms are turned away by design.
Yes. Innovate ND pays back up to $50,000 across two phases, and that money is not a loan. The Native American Small Business Support Program gave 15 businesses awards of $10,000 to $600,000. Both are closed to new applicants. One catch is worth knowing. State grants here mostly reimburse, so you spend first and claim later.
Automate ND is closed. It paid primary sector businesses up to $500,000 toward machinery, equipment, or software. The grant covered no more than half the price. The money came from a one time $5 million ARPA appropriation, which is why it has not come back. For automation, the Technical Skills Training Grant still funds a feasibility study and the training that follows.
No, not for the main state programs. Innovate ND and the Technical Skills Training Grant ask for no certification. The Native American Small Business Support Program is the exception. It asks for at least 51 percent Native American ownership. If you want state contract work, DBE certification through NDDOT is a separate track worth a look.
Plan on months. Innovate ND ran its last round from an April 21 open to a May 14 deadline, and the panel met on June 17. Awards follow the panel. Then most programs reimburse, so the cash lands after you have spent your own money and filed the paperwork. Budget for that gap.
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.
Was this article helpful?
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 North Dakota small business grants
No comments yet. Ask the first question and a member of our team will answer.
Leave a comment