You need money to start and run a small business. That’s true in Colorado as well as everywhere else. Securing financing is perhaps the biggest challenge a startup faces, and the problem doesn’t go away as the company grows, particularly if it wants to expand. When you’re looking for funds to start or grow your enterprise, business grants present too good an opportunity to ignore.
Think of how grants compare with the other forms of financing. For example, you can put your own assets on the line by maxing personal credit cards and mortgaging property. That creates a huge risk for your personal well-being as well as for your business. Another choice is to borrow money from a financial institution. But, of course, loans need to be paid back (with interest!), and that ongoing outflow can stymie the use of financial resources for other business purposes. Finally, you might be able to attract an investor such as a venture capitalist. With this kind of financing, however, you no longer have total ownership of your company. A third party is entitled to a share of your future profits.
With a grant, the money is given to you. You don’t have to pay it back, and you don’t have to compromise your control of your company. If there’s a gap between the financing that’s available and the money you really need to grow your business, a Colorado grant may be just what you need to close that gap.
A small business grant is a momentary award given to a business by a government agency, a nonprofit, or possibly a corporate foundation. Essentially, it is a gift. It’s not a loan that you have to pay back with interest. Unlike a venture capital investment, it doesn’t entitle anyone to a share of your company. If you make money as a result of grant funding, the profits are yours to keep.
Grants are awarded for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s to encourage business owners to get involved in vital industries. Grants may be used to support exports of a state’s goods to other states and other countries. Sometimes they’re intended to encourage business investments in parts of Colorado that may be lagging behind. In yet other cases, the intent is to level the playing field for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups.
Often grants come with specific requirements about how the money will be used. Usually, the application process requires that you tell the grant provider what you plan to do with the award. Sometimes, your use is the money is less controlled, and you can apply it wherever your business has the greatest need.
Grants are particularly welcome for businesses in the startup phase, where the owners are often scrambling to accumulate sufficient funding. They’re also a great source of capital for companies that are looking to expand, either by scaling up their current line of business or venturing into something new.
Of the thousands of 2025 nationwide small business grants, there are some funding opportunities that are available only to home-grown Colorado businesses. In fact, there are far more than an article like this can describe. To help you plow through the array of available awards, consider using a consolidation site that maintains extensive databases. US Grants is an example. To use these sites, you generally have to create an account. You then can enter parameters to narrow down your search.
Here are a few small business grants available to Colorado entrepreneurs.
This grant is for startups that have a product that is manufactured in Colorado and exported globally. Eligible industries include aerospace, advanced manufacturing, bioscience, electronics, energy, infrastructure engineering, and technology and information. Grants can be up to $250,000, but companies must provide matching funds.
The next application period opens on January 1, 2025.
This grant is also targeted to aerospace, advanced manufacturing, bioscience, electronics, energy, infrastructure engineering, and technology and information. It’s intended to offset international development and marketing costs for companies that are either new to exporting or expanding to new countries. Your company has to pay for the expense up front, and the grant is a reimbursement for 50 percent of the expense, up to $15,000.
Here is more information about the program and application process.
This grant supports the hiring and training of new employees. Grants of up to $200,000 are available for businesses that hire new full-time employees who receive job training in Colorado.
You work with a local college representative who helps determine eligibility and needs.
This is for small businesses looking to expand into international markets. Annual grants up to $10,000 are available. Money can be used for trade shows, international business meetings, new market research, and related activities.
A Colorado STEP site has more information on the program and the application process.
Some Colorado grants are widely available and can be used for general business investment and expenses. Others are targeted to specific communities or specific regions of the state. Here are some examples of this kind of award.
Farms, ranches, and value-added food business are eligible for this award. They must be focused on local and regional markets or serving small and medium sized food and farm businesses. Money can be used to hone business skills, expand access to markets, and strengthen local and regional food chains.
This award is from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It provides up to $10,000 for energy efficiency upgrades such as LED lighting and new commercial refrigeration equipment. Initially it is available in Aurora and Commerce City, but it may expand to other communities. Applications close on March 1, 2025.
There’s no reason to limit your search for grants to Colorado. There are federal agency grants that are as available in Colorado as they are in other states. Information is consolidated at the federal website Grants.gov. Here you will find not only a rundown of available grants but also general educational materials and tips for applying. You can use their searchable database to narrow your choices.
Here are a few grants that are available.
As you might expect, the department awards grants primarily to schools and other educational entities. However, there are some available for private businesses. All of them have different eligibility requirements.
See the Available Grants website for additional information. These have an application deadline of March 6, 2025.
SBIR grants fund R&D projects with the goal of promoting technological innovation. There is an emphasis on encouraging participation from traditionally undeserved businesses such as those owned by women and minorities.
The web.gov site provides methods for applying for grants.
Like SBIR, these grants support of R&D and are restricted to businesses with 500 or fewer employees. However, they focus on collaboration between the businesses and non-profit research institutions, often directed toward research with military or commercial implications.
Apply though the processes at web.gov.
A non-regulatory agency of the Department of Commerce offers NIST grants. They are for startups doing R&D in various technology fields, include communications, AI, bioscience, and nanotechnology.
Apply at web.gov.
Government agencies aren’t the only source of Colorado small business grants. Major corporations and private foundations also offer grant funding. Here are some you might look for in 2025.
FedEx awards $230,000 to its small business customers every year. These businesses must have a FedEx account, have 99 or fewer employees, and have been in business for six months.
The process is competitive, and it requires a detailed business plan and a compelling story about how the grant will be used. Watch the FedEx Small Business Grants website for the 2025 application date.
This foundation awards grants to active-duty service members, veterans, and their spouses. Awards are $4,000 to $15,000, and the business must have some social impact of the veteran community.
The application deadline is October of each year.
Women’s Net grants this award every month, generally giving each of three women a $10,000 prize, These winners can apply for the once-a-year $25,000 award.
Applicants submit a story, in plain words rather than business language, that explains the business idea and how the grant will be used.
As you can see, there is a wide assortment of grant opportunities for Colorado small businesses, and the ones listed here only scratch the surface. If you didn’t see anything suitable to your business, don’t be deterred, but use some of the available resources to keep digging. If you’re in R&D, if you want to make your business more eco-friendly, if your business promotes disadvantaged communities, if your work can help revitalize a downtown area, of if you simply want to get your company off the ground and continue to grow, someone, somewhere offers an award you can apply for.
Grants are too good an opportunity to overlook. Unlike loans, they don’t have to be repaid. Unlike venture capital, they don’t required you to give up partial ownership of your own company. Grants are out there, but you have to know about them, and you have to apply for them.
If you’re a Colorado small businessperson, check out these grants, and use the research tools to find similar awards that may be more in line with your business. Take time and care with your application; those who state their case and show how the money will be used are the ones that earn the awards. There are plenty of grant money out there, and someone is going to claim it. Why shouldn’t you be the one?
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