About this programme
The Colorado Revolving Loan Fund provides loans to help small and medium-sized Colorado businesses that were hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is meant for startup and working capital that helps create and retain jobs around the state. It is funded by the US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and run day to day by three Colorado-based nonprofit lenders, not by the state directly.
As a revolving fund, the dollars a lender collects in repayments go back out as new loans, so the same pool of federal money keeps supporting new borrowers over time.
The fund puts extra weight on socially and economically disadvantaged businesses and nonprofits. The lenders work with community-based organizations to reach these business owners, extend bilingual support where possible, and can use non-traditional, character-based underwriting instead of relying only on a credit score.
How it works
Loans range from $5,000 to $750,000. The maximum interest rate is 10%, and the expected average interest rate across these loans is 4%. Loans may be character-based, meaning the lender can look beyond a credit score, and terms can run up to 20 years depending on the type of loan.
Three Colorado nonprofit lenders administer the fund: B:Side Fund (formerly Colorado Lending Source), Colorado Enterprise Fund, and Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado. Which one you apply to depends on where your business is located.
Who can apply
Any registered for-profit business or nonprofit organization can apply. Borrowers come from a wide range of sectors, including outdoor recreation, tourism, food services, hospitality, and creative organizations.
To the extent federal law and regulation allow, the fund also aims to serve USDA-certified hemp businesses and value-added hemp manufacturing businesses.
The fund places special focus on historically underserved groups: minority, Native American or tribal, immigrant, women, disabled, and veteran business owners, businesses in low-income and rural communities, and employee-owned businesses.
How to apply
- Identify which of the three lenders serves your business's location.
- Urban and front-range businesses should contact B:Side Fund or Colorado Enterprise Fund.
- Rural and non-front-range businesses should contact Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado.
- Reach out directly to that lender to start an application; each lender runs its own process.
Frequently asked
Who do I actually apply to for this loan?
Not the state. You apply directly to one of three nonprofit lenders: B:Side Fund, Colorado Enterprise Fund, or Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado, depending on where your business is located.
What interest rate should I expect?
The maximum interest rate is 10%, but the expected average across loans made through the fund is 4%.
How long can I take to repay the loan?
Terms can run up to 20 years, depending on the type of loan; loans may also be character-based rather than tied strictly to a credit score.
Do I have to be a for-profit business to qualify?
No. Both registered for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations are eligible.
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All 10 programmes in Colorado →
Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.