If you’re trying to start a small business in Georgia, you know that the process requires a lot of time, energy, and most of all, funding. Without sufficient capital to pay your bills and suppliers, your business idea will likely become a non-starter. Fortunately, Georgia entrepreneurs have access to multiple state, federal, and private grants to help them succeed quickly.
Because the grant application and approval process can be pretty time-consuming, it’s best to know what to expect before starting. So, we’ve compiled a list of all the various grants that may help your new venture get off the ground. Some grants are ideal for startups, while others may help established businesses strengthen their foundations or expand into new markets.
Here’s everything you need to know about the top small business grants for 2025 in Georgia.
Small business grants are a unique type of funding that works differently from traditional loans or investment capital. The basic principle of a grant is that it’s money that doesn’t have to be repaid. Instead, as long as you use the funds for a specific purpose (e.g., updating or buying sustainable equipment), the money is yours to keep.
Typically, grants are geared toward a particular project or objective. For example, a city or county in Georgia (like Cobb County) may invest in entrepreneurs to ensure the county has high-paying, competitive businesses. Because economic development often yields considerable net benefits, investing in ambitious small business owners can pay dividends in the future.
Although Georgia is a business-friendly state, there aren’t too many statewide grant programs available for small businesses. Instead, you can often secure low-interest funding through organizations like Invest Atlanta. For example, Invest Atlanta offers loans for small companies to purchase assets, pay down deposits on commercial property, or startups to grow and thrive.
Here are the official grant programs available in Georgia. Keep in mind that most of these opportunities are based in a specific city or county. So, if your business doesn’t operate in these locations, you cannot apply.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) works with organizations in each state to help small American companies become more competitive in international markets. The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) aims to assist small businesses in developing partnerships overseas and marketing their materials to foreign consumers.
In Georgia, STEP is known as Go Global Georgia. To qualify, your company must be based in Georgia, have a good standing with the Secretary of State, use at least 51 percent of U.S.-based goods and materials, and have been in business since September 30th, 2023.
You can review the entire application online to ensure your business qualifies for this grant. As a rule, certain types of businesses, such as minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned companies, are much more likely to get approved. Also, the grant favors companies in rural areas where economic development can have a greater impact on infrastructure, job creation, and tax revenue. So, if your business falls into one of these categories, you’ll have a much stronger chance of approval.
Cobb County is just north of Atlanta, including the cities of Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Mableton, Vinings, Fair Oaks, and Powder Springs. The Entrepreneurship Grant is designed to help startups and young businesses (those in operation for less than seven years) strengthen their bottom line and maintain their business within the county. In fact, grant recipients must agree to continue operations within Cobb County for at least three years.
These funds (up to $10,000) can be used for a wide array of business operations, including marketing, equipment purchases and upgrades, lease payments, job retention, and building renovations. Financial, alcohol, and adult-entertainment-related businesses need not apply.
One of the application qualifications is the completion of an entrepreneurial program within the last five years. So, before you can think of applying for this grant, you must go through a business training program. If you have already, you have a leg up on the competition.
Overall, because the grant is designed to improve the economic development of Cobb County, you want to showcase how your business is helping the county. Illustrate how your funds will lead to benefits like job creation, increased tax revenue, and new investment (e.g., increased tourism to one of the cities within the county).
Athens is one of the most well-known college towns in the South. However, what sets Athens apart from other cities is its commitment to historic preservation and excellence. If your business is already in Downtown Athens or you’re hoping to open a storefront within the city, you can access multiple grant programs.
For example, there’s the Community Enhancement Program Grant. This grant is designed to bring more people to Athens via nonprofit events. Recipients can get up to $15,000 to help promote and run the event.
You can review each grant opportunity online, including application requirements and Downtown Athens’ preferences.
For the most part, these grants are designed to make Athens more appealing to both residents and outsiders. If you can show that your business will preserve the city’s unique history while positively representing the city, you’re more likely to get approved.
Typically, federal grants are available to businesses in any of the 50 states. The best way to know if your company qualifies is to go to the Grants.gov website. Agencies like the Department of Agriculture or Department of Defense often offer grant programs on a rolling basis, so you can apply whenever you feel like your business qualifies for funding.
Here are three federal (or nationwide) grants available to Georgia small businesses.
If you’re a tech-based company, you can apply for seed funding to help develop and market proprietary technology for your business. The goal of the SBIR is to provide non-diluted (meaning you retain full ownership) funding for high-tech solutions. However, this program is not funded by a specific agency within the federal government. Instead, different agencies will announce grant opportunities on a rolling basis.
Examples of participating agencies include the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy. Grants must fit within the department’s parameters. For example, the DOE is focused on technology that can provide clean, sustainable energy. Alternatively, the USDA is focused on high-tech solutions that work within the farming industry.
Thankfully, because the Small Business Administration partially oversees the SBIR, you can find local assistance to ensure your business qualifies and gets approved. The Lab to Market (L2M) Hub is designed to connect you with administrators in Georgia who can work with you and your application.
Overall, the SBIR prefers highly innovative methods and products. Basically, if you can invent a better way of doing something, you’ll likely get approved for grant funding.
The STTR program is part of SBIR, but it’s a unique branch with its own set of requirements. The primary difference between the two is that you must have a relationship with a nonprofit lab (e.g., a college or research facility). In this case, the lab may need financial assistance in developing and marketing its innovative technology, and your business acts as the conduit. Again, the goal is to facilitate high-tech solutions across different industries, and funding is available from various federal agencies.
Because you must have an established relationship with a nonprofit research organization, make sure to focus on that first. Once you can prove the connection to the nonprofit, you can work on applying for the STTR. Also, keep in mind that this funding is designed for companies that don’t have proprietary R&D departments. If you already have an R&D team, you must apply for the SBIR grant instead.
Technically, this grant isn’t offered by a federal agency, but it is available in multiple states (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas). The goal of this grant is to help underprivileged business owners (e.g., women or minorities) succeed. Applicants can receive up to $5,000 to help cover the costs of administrative fees and certifications to get their companies off the ground.
Also, your business must be located in a historically underutilized business (HUB) zone. The Small Business Administration has an interactive map showing these zones across all 50 states, including the five participating in this grant.
Because this grant has specific parameters, make sure you fit within them before applying. Verify that your business is in a HUBZone and that you have at least 51 percent ownership as a minority entrepreneur (disabled, person of color, or a woman). Also, make sure you can show how you will use the funds according to the grant’s directive.
Many large corporations and private enterprises offer grant money to small businesses and startups. Grants can range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, depending on the program. Here are a few opportunities for 2025.
FedEx is offering a 12-week business accelerator program designed to help your business grow and thrive. If you get accepted into the program, you also have a chance to receive a $10,000 startup grant. Most businesses are eligible, but there is a list of requirements, like not having more than 25 employees.
SecretSOS is a company that helps small businesses, so it makes sense that it would also offer grants. The brand offers $2,500 to qualifying companies, and there’s no restriction on how you can use the money. However, SecretSOS is looking for ventures that have big ideas and will put the money to good use.
Verizon has an admirable goal of helping one million small businesses by 2030. To do that, the company is offering $10,000 grants to qualifying enterprises. To get accepted, you must go through two grant-eligible courses before the application deadline. These courses are designed to help you unlock success and overcome obstacles holding your business back.
As you can see, securing funding for your business doesn’t have to be an overwhelming ordeal. Now that you know what kind of grant programs are available for Georgia small businesses, you can start applying and putting yourself out there. The best part of this process is connecting and networking with fellow entrepreneurs and investors. So, even if you don’t qualify for a specific grant, you may be able to build relationships that can help your brand get to the next level.
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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