United States / Funding / By state / Arkansas
Funding for startups in Arkansas
Arkansas runs 11 programmes of its own, and 10 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to Arkansas companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by Arkansas and local bodies
ACC Capital Microloan Program
ACC Capital (Arkansas Capital Corporation) · Arkansas
A CDFI microloan of $5,000 to $50,000 for Arkansas entrepreneurs who don't qualify for a traditional bank loan.
Arkansas SBIR Matching Grant Program
Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Division of Science and Technology · Arkansas
Matches up to 50% of a federal SBIR Phase I or Phase II award for Arkansas tech businesses, up to $100,000.
Arkansas Venture Capital Development Fund (AVCDF)
Arkansas Development Finance Authority / Arkansas Venture Capital Investment Trust · Arkansas
State matching investment of $50,000 to $1 million for Arkansas tech companies that already have half their round committed by private investors.
Communities Unlimited Small Business Loans
Communities Unlimited · Arkansas
CDFI loans from $1,000 to $200,000 for Arkansas small businesses and startups, including those without revenue yet.
Equity Investment Tax Credit (EITC)
Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Arkansas Development Finance Authority · Arkansas
Gives investors a 33% state tax credit for equity investments in an eligible Arkansas growth company, helping it raise capital.
FORGE Community Loan Fund
FORGE, Inc. · Arkansas
A nonprofit CDFI microlender making loans to Arkansas small businesses and farms that can't get a conventional bank loan.
Fuel Accelerator
Startup Junkie · Arkansas
A no-equity, no-fee 10-week accelerator from Arkansas nonprofit Startup Junkie, connecting revenue-stage B2B startups to investors and corporate partners.
Seed Capital Investment Program (SCIP)
Arkansas Economic Development Commission · Arkansas
Up to $500,000 in staged state seed funding for Arkansas tech startups that can't yet get traditional financing.
Technology Development Program (TDP)
Arkansas Economic Development Commission · Arkansas
Puts up to $100,000 into developing a commercially promising technology, repaid only as a royalty if the product sells.
Technology Transfer Assistance Grant (TTAG)
Arkansas Economic Development Commission · Arkansas
AEDC covers up to $3,750 of a $5,000 project that helps an Arkansas business adopt new technology to fix an operating problem.
Lab2Launch Accelerator
Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) · Arkansas
Free six-week coaching program that helps Arkansas researchers and small businesses prepare a competitive SBIR or STTR proposal.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to Arkansas businesses
Grants 23
- AFWERX SBIR/STTR & Army xTechup to $15M
- Amber Grant for Womenup to $50k
- ARPA-E
- ARPA-H
- Comcast RISEup to $5k
- DHS SBIRup to $1M
- DoD SBIR/STTRup to $2.15M
- DOE SBIR/STTRup to $2.15M
- ED/IES SBIRup to $1M
- EDA Build to Scale (B2S)up to $5M
- EPA SBIRup to $400k
- Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program
- FedEx Small Business Grant Contestup to $50k
- NASA SBIR/STTRup to $1.27M
- NIH SBIR/STTRup to $4.19M
- NOAA SBIRup to $690k
- NSF SBIR/STTR — America's Seed Fund powered by NSFup to $1.25M
- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) — Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiencyup to $25M
- SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC)up to $200k
- SBIR/STTR (America's Seed Fund)up to $2.15M
- US DOT SBIRup to $200k
- USDA NIFA SBIR
- Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)up to $200k
Loans & guarantees 15
- CAPLines (SBA 7(a) Lines of Credit)up to $5M
- CDFI Fund — Certified Community Development Financial Institution Network
- DOE Loan Programs Office (Office of Energy Dominance Financing)
- Export Working Capital Program (EWCP)up to $5M
- International Trade Loan Program (ITL)up to $5M
- Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL)up to $2M
- SBA 504 Loan Program (CDC/504)up to $5.5M
- SBA 7(a) Loan Programup to $5M
- SBA Community Advantage Loansup to $1M
- SBA Disaster Loans (Physical Damage & Economic Injury)up to $2M
- SBA Microloan Programup to $50k
- SBA-504 and 7(a) Combined Loan Cap ($10M)up to $10M
- EXIM Working Capital Guarantee Programup to $10M
- SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Programup to $14M
- State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
Tax benefits 8
- Federal R&D Tax Credit (Section 41)
- New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC)
- QSBS Section 1202 Exclusionup to $15M
- Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ)
- R&D Payroll Tax Offset (Qualified Small Business Payroll Tax Credit)up to $500k
- Section 174A Domestic R&D Expensing Restoration
- State R&D Tax Credits (multi-state landscape)
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)up to $2.4k
Equity 7
- 500 Global Flagship Acceleratorup to $150k
- Antler US Residency
- gener8tor Investment Acceleratorup to $100k
- HAXup to $250k
- Neo Accelerator
- Techstars Standard Investment Termsup to $220k
- Y Combinator Standard Dealup to $500k
Support & credits 10
- AWS Activateup to $200k
- Google for Startups Cloud Programup to $350k
- Microsoft for Startupsup to $150k
- MassChallenge Accelerator Programs (Traction & Challenge)
- MBDA Business Center Network
- NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
- NVIDIA Inception
- Plug and Play Accelerator Programs
- SBA 8(a) Business Development Program
- Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program
The other Arkansas deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In Arkansas that means the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report — Due on or before May 1 each year. No extensions — the SOS form instructions state Acts 1046 and 1140 of 1991 eliminated them. Filing counts as timely if received by close of business May 1 or USPS-postmarked by midnight May 1.
This page exists because Arkansas has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a Arkansas programme we are missing via the contact page.
Funders read the books before the pitch
Every programme on this page asks for financials in a particular shape. We keep Arkansas books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.