Small Business Grants in Vermont
Farms and sawmills get Vermont's grant money. The biggest programme, Working Lands at $10,000 to $50,000, is shut until it reopens in the fall. Each card below shows what is open now.
Which Vermont grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 11 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.
Vermont Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Vermont small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Working Lands Business Enhancement Grant
Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
$10,000–$50,000
Deadline Dec 10, 2026Pays $10,000 to $50,000 to Vermont farms, sawmills, forestry businesses and value added food firms sourcing at least half their ingredients in Vermont. Money covers equipment, infrastructure, marketing, research or training. No match is required. Cannabis, flowers, equine, Christmas trees and anything grown indoors are out, and past grantees sit out three fiscal years.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at Working Lands. The page states the grant is closed and labels every figure a sample from the past round. That round opened October 17, 2025, closed December 11 at 2:00pm, offered $620,000 in total, and notified applicants in late February 2026. It reopens in the fall, usually October to December.
Last verified, Jul 30, 2026
Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI)
Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC)
Performance-based (varies by project)
RollingPays cash to businesses expanding in or moving to Vermont. You earn it by adding full time permanent jobs above a wage floor, growing payroll and investing capital beyond normal growth. It is not a tax credit and it is not paid up front. You earn it first, then it arrives in five yearly payments.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at ACCD. Rolling. Pre-applications any time, and Initial or Final Applications filed by the first Friday of a month are reviewed on the last Thursday. Apply before the project starts, incentives cannot be granted for activity already under way. Earned incentives pay in five yearly instalments and count as taxable income.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 4, 2026
Elevate Vermont Matching Grant
Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)
Up to $50,000
RollingPays up to $50,000 to a Vermont for profit that already holds a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I or Phase II award. It covers costs federal money will not, such as marketing, market research and sales materials. One grant per federal award, five in a lifetime, and more than three prior Phase II awards rules you out.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at ACCD. Rolling, non competitive, reviewed first come first served under Act 74. The federal award must be in hand before you apply. Projects must finish inside six months and travel cannot exceed 10 percent of the budget. The same program also coaches first time SBIR applicants at no cost.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Vermont Training Program (VTP)
Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)
Up to 50% of training costs
RollingCovers up to 50 percent of the wages of an employee training on site, or 50 percent of a trainer fee for classroom work. Travel, materials, equipment, coaching and course design are not covered. Every sector may apply, with priority to the state CEDS target sectors including advanced manufacturing, health care, software and clean energy.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at ACCD. Rolling, reviewed in about 18 business days, and the grant agreement must be signed before training begins. Trainees must be full time permanent employees working in Vermont, and pay after training must reach the 2024 Vermont livable wage, $19.53 an hour in Chittenden County and $17.68 elsewhere.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 4, 2026
State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)
Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)
Up to $30,000 per year (75% reimbursement)
RollingReimburses Vermont exporters up to 75 percent of pre approved costs, to a maximum of $30,000 a year across as many as four separate activities. Covers trade shows, export training, website work, compliance testing and market research. Printing is not covered. You must match 25 percent in cash.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at ACCD. Rolling, no fixed deadline. Part A must be filed before the activity, with a W-9 signed within six months and a certificate showing $1,000,000 of general liability cover. The business must be registered in Vermont, trading at least a year, hold a strategic export plan, and meet the 51 percent US content rule.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 4, 2026
State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) with ACCD
$57.9M total (split between Venture Capital and Loan Participation)
RollingVermont received $57.9 million from the US Treasury and gave it to VEDA. Half funds the Vermont Loan Participation Program and half funds the Vermont Venture Capital Program. VEDA states plainly that these are loans, not grants, and must be repaid. SSBCI backing can lower the opening rate or the deposit you must find.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at VEDA. Ongoing, no application deadline. Eligibility runs on total project financing under $20 million and fewer than 750 employees worldwide. The ACCD page our earlier link pointed to no longer resolves, VEDA now carries both programs.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 4, 2026
Rutland Business Incentive Assistance Program
Rutland Redevelopment Authority
$5,000 grant plus up to $10,000 forgivable loan
RollingPays a flat $5,000 grant toward machinery, equipment or real property improvement for businesses investing and hiring inside the City of Rutland. A $10,000 forgivable loan and a Heritage Family Credit Union secured loan up to $50,000 sit alongside it. The money comes from the city share of solar tax revenue.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 at the Rutland Redevelopment Authority. Rolling, no posted deadline. Applicants must start, relocate or expand inside the city, invest, and create jobs. Businesses working solely in retail, food service, or low wage service paying under $13 an hour are not eligible.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 4, 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
Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program
Funds growth projects in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and New York. For profit companies cannot apply. The money goes to towns, tribes, non profits and career technical centers. A business reaches it through one of those, never directly.
Status check, Verified July 25, 2026 in the 2026 Catalyst Program Overview. For profit entities are listed first under ineligible applicants. The spring round has closed. Fall pre-applications are due before 5:00pm EST on August 18, 2026, full applications by October 16, with awards around December. Up to $60.5 million is available across both 2026 rounds. All Vermont counties sit in the service area.
Learn moreLast verified, Aug 6, 2026
Size is the wrong question here. The tallest bar on this chart is ten times the next one, and a Vermont company may not apply for it. The chart plots the top award for each program against whether a for profit business can apply today.
Get Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most Vermont grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Vermont 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 Vermont.
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Elevate Vermont pays up to $50,000. There is a catch. It goes only to a for profit that already won a federal SBIR or STTR award. One grant per federal award. Five over a company's life. Firms with more than 3 prior Phase II awards are out. The program also coaches first time SBIR applicants, free.
- ›Elevate Vermont
- ›SSBCI venture capital through VEDA
Rural Business Grants
Working Lands is the real rural grant. It pays $10,000 to $50,000 to farms, sawmills and forestry firms. It is shut until fall. NBRC Catalyst is not a rural business grant. Its 2026 rules bar for profit applicants. USDA's Rural Business Development Grant says the same. Ask your town or a local non profit to apply.
- ›Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
- ›Northern Border Regional Commission
Women-owned Business Grants
WomensNet awards the $10,000 Amber Grant every month. A $50,000 award follows at year end. Both are open to Vermont women aged 18 and over. The state runs no women only grant. The Small Business Development Center advises women founders, free.
- ›Amber Grant for Women
- ›Vermont Small Business Development Center
Minority-owned Business Grants
ACCD contracts the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. It gives BIPOC owners coaching, training, technical help and introductions, at no cost. It is help, not cash. No Vermont program asks for minority certification. All 6 open programs, including the $50,000 Elevate grant, judge you on the same terms as anyone else.
- ›BIPOC Business and Career Assistance Program
- ›Vermont Professionals of Color Network
Veteran-owned Business Grants
Vermont runs no veteran grant. The Small Business Development Center advises veterans free, on planning and on applications. None of the 6 open programs asks about veteran status. Nothing here is closed to you, and nothing is held for you either.
- ›Vermont Small Business Development Center
- ›SBA veteran contracting assistance
Tips for Applying in Vermont
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Apply before you start. VEGI, STEP and the Vermont Training Program all refuse to fund work already under way. VEGI cannot pay for jobs you have already made.
- 2Check whether the money is a grant. Vermont's largest published figure is the $57.9 million SSBCI pool. That pool is venture capital and loan participation through VEDA. You repay it.
- 3For STEP, file Part A first. Send a W-9 signed inside six months. Send a certificate showing $1,000,000 of general liability cover. Reimbursement runs to $30,000 a year at 75 percent, with a 25 percent cash match.
- 4Working Lands wants three statements. A profit and loss statement, a balance sheet and a cash flow statement. Past grantees sit out three fiscal years. Read the ineligible list before you write anything.
- 5Talk to the state advisers first. The Vermont Small Business Development Center is free and confidential. BIPOC owners can add coaching through the Vermont Professionals of Color Network at no cost.
State Economic Development Agency
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)
ACCD is Vermont's economic development agency. It runs 4 of the programs here. The Training Program, STEP, Elevate Vermont and the Rural Industry Development Program. It also keeps a Recently Closed Programs page. Read it before you chase a grant you saw elsewhere.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Vermont can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Six of them. The Vermont Training Program covers half the cost of training a full time employee. Elevate Vermont pays up to $50,000, but only after a federal SBIR or STTR award. STEP reimburses 75 percent of export costs to $30,000 a year. VEGI pays cash for new payroll. SSBCI runs through VEDA as loans and equity. Rutland adds a $5,000 grant for city businesses. Working Lands is shut until fall.
Yes it can. All 6 open Vermont programs fund for profit firms, and an LLC qualifies on structure alone. Elevate Vermont asks for a for profit based here. STEP wants you registered with the Secretary of State and trading a year. What blocks people is sector and timing, not entity type. NBRC is the exception. It bars for profit applicants outright.
Just one. The Rutland Business Incentive Assistance Program pays a flat $5,000 for machinery, equipment or real property improvement. Alongside it sit a $10,000 forgivable loan and a credit union loan up to $50,000. The money comes from the city share of solar tax revenue. You must invest and add jobs inside Rutland. Retail, food service and service work paying under $13 an hour do not qualify.
Not as a business. The 2026 Catalyst Program Overview lists for profit entities first under ineligible applicants. Money goes to state and local government, career technical centers, political subdivisions, 501(c) non profits and tribes. Every Vermont county sits in the service area, so ask your town or a local non profit. Fall pre-applications close August 18, 2026, and full applications close October 16.
It pays half. Half the wages of an employee while they train on site, or half a trainer fee for classroom work. It does not pay for travel, materials, equipment, coaching or building the course. Trainees must be full time and permanent. Their pay after training must reach the 2024 state livable wage, $19.53 an hour in Chittenden County and $17.68 elsewhere. Reviews take about 18 business days.
In the fall, usually between October and December. The last round opened October 17, 2025 and closed December 11, with $620,000 available and awards of $10,000 to $50,000. Applicants heard back in late February. Only farms, sawmills, forestry firms and food businesses sourcing half their ingredients in Vermont qualify. Cannabis, flowers, equine and anything grown indoors are excluded by name.
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.
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