United States / Funding / By state / Iowa
Funding for startups in Iowa
Iowa runs 9 programmes of its own, and 5 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to Iowa companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by Iowa and local bodies
America's Seed Fund: Iowa Program (SBIR/STTR Match)
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) · Iowa
Iowa SBIR/STTR winners get a $50,000 state match for Phase I awards and $25,000 for Phase II, on top of the federal grant.
Demonstration Fund
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), administered via VentureNet Iowa · Iowa
Iowa tech and bioscience companies can get up to $100,000 in loan or royalty financing to launch a market-ready product, with a 2:1 private match.
ESOP Feasibility Study Assistance
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) · Iowa
Iowa corporations exploring employee ownership get half the cost of a feasibility study reimbursed, up to $25,000, after the study and ESOP formation.
Innovation Acceleration Fund
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), administered via VentureNet Iowa · Iowa
Growth-stage Iowa tech, manufacturing or bioscience companies with real revenue can get $250,000 to $1,000,000, matched dollar for dollar.
Proof of Commercial Relevance
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), administered via VentureNet Iowa · Iowa
Iowa companies with a proven concept can get up to $50,000 in low-interest loans to validate their market before a commercial launch.
Global Insurance Accelerator
Global Insurance Accelerator · Iowa
Early-stage insurtech founders get a $50,000 cash investment for 5 percent equity plus a 100-day Des Moines mentorship program.
Innovation Fund Tax Credit
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) · Iowa
Investors get a 25 percent Iowa tax credit for cash put into certified venture funds that back early-stage, high-growth local companies.
Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) · Iowa
Small and mid-sized Iowa manufacturers can get up to $75,000, matched 1:1, to adopt smart manufacturing technology like robotics, sensors or 3D printing.
Seed Investor Tax Credit
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) · Iowa
Investors get a 20 percent (35 percent in rural areas) Iowa tax credit for cash put into early-stage local companies, helping founders raise capital.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to Iowa 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 Iowa deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In Iowa that means the Biennial Report — Filed every two years, between January 1 and April 1, in odd-numbered years.
This page exists because Iowa has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a Iowa 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 Iowa books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.