Small Business Grants in Washington
Washington calls the shutdown temporary. STEP export vouchers have been halted since October 1, 2025 while Commerce waits on the SBA, and the one grant still open pays $3,000.
Which Washington 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.
Washington Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Washington small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Paid Family and Medical Leave Small Business Grants
Washington Employment Security Department
$1,000 - $3,000
Open, no closing dateGrants for employers with 150 or fewer staff, covering the cost when an employee takes Paid Family and Medical Leave. You can claim ten a year, one per employee on leave. Employers on a voluntary plan cannot apply. Nor can employers with overdue premiums.
Status check, Verified at paidleave.wa.gov on July 26, 2026. The application is open now. Employers with fewer than 50 staff can claim up to $3,000. Employers with 50 to 150 staff can claim up to $3,000 for a replacement hire or up to $1,000 for other wage related costs. Apply no later than 12 months after the employee's leave start date. Two catches, employers on an active voluntary plan or with overdue premiums cannot apply, and an employer under 50 staff who takes a grant then owes the employer share of the premium for 12 quarters.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 5, 2026
Clean Energy Grants Program
Washington State Department of Commerce
$50,000 - $2,500,000
Closed Nov 5, 2025Grant funding for clean energy projects that modernize the electric grid, promote solar energy deployment, and enhance community resilience. Approximately $32 million was available to public and private entities in the most recent round.
Status check, Commerce's published timeline for this cycle reads September 18, 2025 open, November 5, 2025 applications due at 4 p.m., December 2025 awards announced, February 2026 earliest contract start. No new round is posted. Roughly $32 million was available to public and private entities in that round.
Last verified, Aug 5, 2026
Green Jobs Grant Program
Washington State Department of Commerce
Varies by project
No open windowGrant funding for projects demonstrating high-wage clean job creation, clean manufacturing infrastructure investment, and workforce development for the clean energy economy.
Status check, Commerce's page is titled Green Jobs Grant Program 2025 and was last updated in April 2025. It describes an open, continuous application until all funding is obligated, with review beginning February 17, 2025. The program does not appear on the current Commerce funding opportunities list, so there is no live window to apply into.
Last verified, Aug 5, 2026
STEP Export Voucher Program
Washington State Department of Commerce
Up to $10,000 per year
Halted since Oct 1, 2025Cash back for Washington exporters. It covers trade show fees, airfare, translation and export training. Commerce halted applications on October 1, 2025 pending word from the SBA. When it runs, a company can claim three vouchers and up to $10,000 in a federal fiscal year.
Status check, Commerce's own program page carries a Program halted banner. Applications for STEP export vouchers were halted beginning October 1, 2025, and Commerce says it will update the page when it hears more from the SBA. When the program runs, a company can claim three vouchers and up to $10,000 in a federal fiscal year, with a 25 percent cash match required.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 5, 2026
Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) Grants
Washington State Department of Commerce
Varies by project
RollingCERB provides grants and loans to rural communities for public infrastructure projects that support private business development and job creation.
Status check, CERB is active with ~$76M available, awarding grants as recently as May 2026. Deadlines are rolling, tied to board meetings 8 weeks prior. Only local governments and tribes may apply directly, not small businesses.
Last verified, Aug 4, 2026
Anaerobic Digester Development (Dairy Digester) Grants
Washington State Department of Commerce
Awards ran $650,000 to $4.65 million
Closed Dec 10, 2025Grants to build, repair or upgrade digesters that capture methane from dairy manure. Private operators win these. In April 2026 Commerce awarded more than $13.8 million to seven projects across five counties, six of them companies. The largest award, $4.65 million, went to the Tulalip Tribes.
Status check, Verified at commerce.wa.gov on July 26, 2026. The $12.8 million round opened October 22, 2025 and closed December 10, 2025 at 5 p.m., with contracts running March 2026 to June 2027, so no new window is posted. Applicants need a 15 percent match and a project at or next to an existing Washington dairy. In April 2026 Commerce awarded more than $13.8 million to seven projects, six of them private companies, and the largest award of $4.65 million went to the Tulalip Tribes. Funded by the Climate Commitment Act.
Apply / Learn MoreLast verified, Aug 5, 2026
WSMA Microenterprise Grants
Washington State Microenterprise Association
$10,000
Deadline Jan 7, 2026Grants to nonprofit organizations that provide business training, technical assistance, and access to financing for Washington small businesses with five or fewer employees, with a focus on BIPOC entrepreneurs and underserved communities.
Status check, Both the WSMA 2025-2026 Statewide and Urban grant programs are marked REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (NOW CLOSED) on wamicrobiz.org, with an application deadline of January 7, 2026 at 5 p.m. PST. Each award is $10,000 and the money goes to nonprofit organisations that train and advise small businesses, not to business owners.
Last verified, Aug 5, 2026
SkillSource Small Business Investment Grants
SkillSource
Closed, $80,000 was the total program pool, not a per business award
Deadline Sep 22, 2025This round is closed and the figure to watch is which number you are reading. The $80,000 attached to this program was the TOTAL pool shared across all awards, not what one business could receive, and individual awards were a small fraction of it. It funded Latine, Tribal, Black, Asian, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander owned businesses in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Adams and Okanogan counties. Check SkillSource directly for any future round and ask for the per business cap, not the pool.
Status check, Application period was September 4 to September 22, 2025. Grant period ended June 30, 2026. Program year has concluded.
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 gap is the story. Washington's big grant money went out the door in late 2025 and has not come back. So the one program still open is also the smallest on this page, by a factor of a thousand. The scale below is logarithmic. On a normal scale that gold bar would vanish.
Get Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most Washington grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Washington 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 Washington.
Women-owned Business Grants
Washington's Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises certifies women-owned firms for state and local contracting. That also opens the Linked Deposit Program and the small works roster. No women-only state grant is open. The $10,000 award you see in search results is the Amber Grant, a private national program with no tie to Washington.
Minority-owned Business Grants
OMWBE runs the certifications for minority-owned firms too. That is the route to set-aside contracts. Two programs often listed as BIPOC grants are shut. SkillSource closed in September 2025, and the WSMA grants closed in January 2026 and paid nonprofit trainers rather than business owners.
Veteran-owned Business Grants
The Department of Veterans Affairs certifies veteran-owned businesses here. State agencies are told to buy from certified firms through WEBS. You get contract access. There is no veteran grant behind it.
- Veteran Owned Business certification
- ›WEBS vendor registration at des.wa.gov
Rural Business Grants
Associate Development Organizations cover the state, county by county. They are the first call for a rural business, because they know the local pots. CERB money is not one of them. Only cities, counties, ports and tribes can apply, and the infrastructure they build is what reaches your business.
- Commerce funding opportunities
- ›Your county's Associate Development Organization
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
Clean Energy Grants and the Green Jobs program funded exactly this work. Neither is taking applications. The live route is federal. SBIR and STTR Phase I runs up to $275,000, and Washington's aerospace and software depth makes local firms competitive.
Tips for Applying in Washington
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Apply within twelve months. The clock starts the day your employee's leave started, not the day you paid the cost. Miss it and the money is gone, even when your receipts are perfect.
- 2Read the catch first. If you have fewer than 50 staff, taking the grant means you owe the employer share of the Paid Leave premium for twelve quarters. Run that number against the grant.
- 3Watch the Commerce funding page, not the program pages. New rounds land there with short windows. A program page can sit for a year with last season's dates still on it.
- 4Book time with a Washington SBDC adviser. It is free. They read grant applications for a living, and they will tell you when a program is not worth your afternoon.
- 5Register on WEBS at des.wa.gov. Then get OMWBE certified if you qualify. Neither one is a grant. Both are how Washington really moves money to small firms, through contracts rather than awards.
State Economic Development Agency
Washington State Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce strengthens key industries, expands international trade, helps small businesses grow, and supports local economic development partners across all 39 Washington counties.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Washington can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but the list is short. The Paid Family and Medical Leave grant pays $1,000 to $3,000 and is never repaid. As of July 26, 2026 it is the only state grant open to Washington businesses. Federal SBIR and STTR awards are true grants too. They only fit companies doing research with a commercial end in sight.
Two things carry that number. Neither is what most people hope for. The WSMA Statewide and Urban grants are $10,000 each, but they fund nonprofit trainers rather than businesses, and both closed on January 7, 2026. The other is the Amber Grant, $10,000 monthly from a private firm called WomensNet, open nationally and nothing to do with Washington.
Yes. Washington and the federal government both fund LLCs. Structure is not the barrier. The Paid Leave grant is open to any employer with 150 or fewer staff. What no LLC can get is general startup money. Every open program here pays for one specific thing, a leave cost, a research phase, a digester.
Because the SBA has not said what happens next. Commerce halted export voucher applications on October 1, 2025. Its own page still carries the banner. The program exists on paper, three vouchers and $10,000 a year per company, and search results still call it available. It is not.
Commerce paused new Small Business Flex Fund 2 applications during a redesign. No restart date is published. Businesses who need capital now are pointed to the Revenue-Based Financing Fund. That lends $10,000 to $100,000 through Denkyem, and $101,000 to $500,000 through Grow America. You repay a multiple of revenue, 1.1 to 1.5 times the amount advanced, rather than interest.
The Paid Leave grant is quick. It takes weeks, because it reimburses costs you can already prove. Competitive rounds are the slow ones. Clean Energy Grants opened in September 2025, closed in November, announced awards in December and started contracts in February 2026.
For most programs, no. Certification is a contracting tool, not a grant key. OMWBE status opens set-aside contracts and the small works roster. State certification also makes you eligible for the Linked Deposit Program, which can cut the interest on a small business loan by up to 2 percent. To qualify you must own at least 51 percent of the firm, hold personal net worth under $2.047 million, and average under $32.82 million in receipts.
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.
Sources & References
- Washington State Department of Commerce
- Commerce funding opportunities
- STEP Export Voucher Program
- Clean Energy Grants
- Green Jobs Grant Program
- Dairy Digester Program
- Commerce Access to Capital and SSBCI
- Paid Family and Medical Leave, small businesses
- Washington State Microenterprise Association grants
- Small Business Flex Fund
- Washington Small Business Development Center
- OMWBE certification
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