United States / Funding / By state / Connecticut
Funding for startups in Connecticut
Connecticut runs 15 programmes of its own, and 9 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to Connecticut companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by Connecticut and local bodies
AI/Q Fund
Connecticut Innovations · Connecticut
Connecticut Innovations invests from a $50 million fund in AI, quantum computing, and deep tech companies with a Connecticut connection.
ClimateTech Fund
Connecticut Innovations · Connecticut
Equity capital of $150,000 to $2 million per year for climate tech companies with a Connecticut presence, from seed to Series B/C.
Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund (CBIF)
Connecticut Innovations · Connecticut
Connecticut Innovations backs bioscience companies from a $200 million evergreen fund; per-company amount is set case by case.
Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development · Connecticut
Low-interest loans of $5,000 to $500,000 at a fixed 4.5% for Connecticut small businesses and nonprofits, arranged through community lenders.
Future Fund
Connecticut Innovations · Connecticut
Equity investment of $250,000 to $1.5 million for Connecticut tech startups accelerating growth, with priority for diverse founding teams.
Minority Business Revolving Loan Fund
Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA), in partnership with HEDCO · Connecticut
Loans of $10,000 to $100,000 at 4% fixed interest, up to 10 years, for Connecticut minority-owned small businesses statewide.
Pre-Seed Fund
Connecticut Innovations · Connecticut
Connecticut Innovations funds early-stage tech and bioscience companies too early for VC with matched pre-seed capital to prove feasibility.
Proof-of-Concept Fund
Connecticut Innovations · Connecticut
A convertible note of $50,000 to $100,000 for Connecticut companies validating an early technology concept, no personal guarantee required.
State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development · Connecticut
Matching-grant reimbursement for Connecticut small businesses' export activities like foreign trade shows and trade missions; exact award not stated per applicant.
Ledge Light Launch
seCTer (Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region), with the Windham Area Chamber of Commerce · Connecticut
A quarterly pitch competition awarding $10,000 to Windham County-area Connecticut businesses expanding or entering new markets.
PITCH '26
StartUp Westport · Connecticut
A pitch competition awarding $30,000 in total non-dilutive prizes, $25,000 for first place, to early-stage Connecticut-connected founders.
Student Milestone Fund
Yale Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking (Tsai CITY) · Connecticut
Grants up to $2,000 per year help Yale student teams reach their venture's next milestone, reviewed every two weeks in fall and spring.
Impact Accelerator
reSET (Social Enterprise Trust, Inc.) · Connecticut
A three-month, $600 accelerator for Connecticut impact-driven founders with traction, pairing mentorship and investor connections; no equity is taken.
Summer Accelerator
UConn Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) · Connecticut
UConn's eight-week accelerator gives $15,000 in non-dilutive funding to UConn-affiliated startup teams; the 2026 cohort's applications are closed.
CT Opportunity Fund
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (administered by HEDCO) · Connecticut
Loans of $10,000 to $500,000 at up to 4% interest for Connecticut small businesses in poverty areas or run by first-time owners.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to Connecticut 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 Connecticut deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In Connecticut that means the Annual Report — Fixed filing window each year: January 1 through March 31, regardless of formation date.
This page exists because Connecticut has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a Connecticut 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 Connecticut books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.