United States / Funding / By state / Kentucky
Funding for startups in Kentucky
Kentucky runs 10 programmes of its own, and 10 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to Kentucky companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by Kentucky and local bodies
Awesome Fund
Awesome Inc · Kentucky
A $5 million venture fund from Awesome Inc investing in early-stage Kentucky tech startups with proven traction.
Commonwealth Seed Capital
Commonwealth Seed Capital LLC (Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development) · Kentucky
State-affiliated seed fund making equity investments in growth-stage Kentucky businesses across tech, bioscience and advanced manufacturing.
Kentucky Angel Investment Tax Credit
Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KEDFA) · Kentucky
Tax credit of 25-40% for angel investors who put at least $10,000 into a qualifying Kentucky small business.
Kentucky Enterprise Fund (KEF)
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC) · Kentucky
Pre-seed and seed-stage equity funding for Kentucky companies commercializing new technology, run by KSTC.
Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation Small Business Loans
Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation · Kentucky
Loans up to $250,000 for working capital, equipment or real estate for small businesses in 22 southeastern Kentucky counties.
Kentucky Investment Fund Act (KIFA)
Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KEDFA) · Kentucky
Investors who back Kentucky small businesses through an approved KIFA fund get a state tax credit: 25% for funds approved since 2023, up to 40% for earlier ones.
Kentucky SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Award Program
KY Innovation, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development · Kentucky
Matching grant for Kentucky-based SBIR/STTR award recipients, up to $100,000 for Phase I and $150,000 for Phase II.
Kentucky Small Business Tax Credit Program (KSBTC)
Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Office of Entrepreneurship · Kentucky
Nonrefundable tax credit up to $25,000 for small Kentucky businesses that hired a worker and bought at least $5,000 of equipment.
Mountain Association Business Lending
Mountain Association · Kentucky
CDFI loans from $1,000 to over $1 million for small businesses across 54 Appalachian counties in eastern Kentucky.
The Fellowship (Awesome Inc)
Awesome Inc · Kentucky
One-year mentor-driven program giving Kentucky tech founders mentor access, coworking space and pro bono legal and accounting help.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to Kentucky 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 Kentucky deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In Kentucky that means the Annual Report — Filing window is January 1 through June 30 each year; due by June 30.
This page exists because Kentucky has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a Kentucky 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 Kentucky books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.