Funding Options for Small and Growing Businesses

Small businesses require capital to grow. Unfortunately, many loan programs are designed to serve larger businesses. To close the funding gap, the Department of Commerce offers your growing business several loan programs that can help you purchase new equipment, renovate, expand or construct facilities, support early stage product development or repurpose properties that have been abandoned or underutilized due to environmental issues.

Young female entrepreneur reviewing her financial statements

Small Business Credit Initiative

Commerce has been awarded $163.4 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury to launch five innovative small businesses lending programs. The programs are to promote entrepreneurship, support small business ownership, and increase the flow of capital in underserved communities.

Export company employee counts pallets before shipping

Export Voucher Program

Funded in part by a Small Business Administration grant, the Export Voucher Program helps small businesses offset some of the costs (up to $5,000) of getting into the export business or expanding into new international markets, such as trade show or trade mission fees, travel or the cost of hiring translators or interpreters.

A loader dumps dirt at a clean up site for a Brownfields project

Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund

Brownfields RLF provide low interest loans to local governments, non-profits, tribes, ports, and private businesses undertaking clean-up of contaminated properties. The loans provided through the Brownfields RLF Program fund the remediation required for cleanup on sites to support redevelopment.