Compare program purposes, eligibility requirements and application routes before spending time on an application. Start with our free guide, then check the original source and discuss your circumstances with the lender or program administrator.
Know the difference
Four different instruments with four different failure modes. The scoring weights accessibility heavily precisely because the most generous program is worthless if you cannot qualify.
Awards with program-specific eligibility, permitted uses and reporting requirements. Read the conditions before deciding whether a grant fits your project.
Watch for: Reporting obligations and clawback terms. A grant with a five-year job commitment is a contract, not a gift.
Financing that must be repaid. A public guarantee can share a lender’s risk, but the lender still evaluates the application and sets terms within the program rules.
Watch for: Owner contribution, personal guarantees and collateral. The headline rate is rarely the whole cost.
Value delivered through your tax position rather than as cash — job tax credits, investment credits, port activity credits, freeport exemptions.
Watch for: Confirm whether and when you can use a credit, and which filing deadlines and documentation requirements apply.
Contracts to supply a public body. Not funding in the strict sense, but for many businesses the largest single opportunity on this list.
Watch for: Registration, certification and bonding requirements usually take longer than the bid window.
Current records
Georgia SSBCI helps participating lenders finance eligible small businesses through loan participation and credit guarantees. It is financing to repay, not a grant. DCA describe...
The full analysis for this record is included with a higher membership tier. Compare plans
SBA microloans provide up to $50,000 through intermediary lenders. Eligible uses include working capital, inventory, supplies and equipment. They cannot purchase real estate or ...
The full analysis for this record is included with a higher membership tier. Compare plans
SBA 7(a) supports lender-issued loans up to $5 million for eligible small businesses. Uses can include working capital, equipment, real estate and ownership changes. The borrowe...
The full analysis for this record is included with a higher membership tier. Compare plans
SBA 504 finances eligible major fixed assets through a Certified Development Company working with a senior lender. SBA lists a maximum of $5.5 million; the CDC must confirm the ...
The full analysis for this record is included with a higher membership tier. Compare plans
Eligibility
Every funding record states these in plain language before you spend an hour on an application.
Deadlines
Deadline pressure is a scored component, not a marketing device. First-come-first-served programs score higher because they genuinely run out.
Nothing is closing in the next fortnight. Deadlines appear here as records are published.
Premium members are alerted the moment a matching program is published or materially changes. Everyone gets reminders at fourteen, seven and two days before a deadline they are tracking.