United States / Funding / By state / Nebraska
Funding for startups in Nebraska
Nebraska runs 9 programmes of its own, and 8 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to Nebraska companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by Nebraska and local bodies
ImagiNE Nebraska Act (Economic Redevelopment Areas tier)
Nebraska Department of Economic Development · Nebraska
Sales and income tax incentives for a Nebraska business in a redevelopment zone that adds 5 jobs and invests $250,000 or more.
Nebraska Enterprise Fund Direct Lending
Nebraska Enterprise Fund · Nebraska
Direct loans from $1,000 to $150,000 for Nebraska micro and small businesses, including startups and home-based operations.
Nebraska Growth Loan Fund (SSBCI Loan Participation)
Nebraska Department of Economic Development (SSBCI), administered by Nebraska Enterprise Fund and Omaha 100 · Nebraska
State-backed loan participation up to $5 million alongside a private lender for Nebraska small businesses expanding and adding jobs.
Nebraska SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program
Nebraska Department of Economic Development · Nebraska
State matches your federal SBIR or STTR award, up to $150,000 at Phase 1 or $300,000 at Phase 2, for Nebraska small businesses.
Nebraska Seed and Development Fund (SSBCI)
Nebraska Department of Economic Development (SSBCI), placement managed by Invest Nebraska Corporation · Nebraska
State-backed equity co-investment up to $5 million, matched dollar for dollar, in Nebraska companies with up to 750 employees.
Nebraska Seed Investment Program
Nebraska Department of Economic Development, placement managed by Invest Nebraska · Nebraska
Equity investment up to $500,000 in high-growth early-stage Nebraska companies, matched dollar for dollar by other investors.
NIF Prototype Grant
Nebraska Department of Economic Development · Nebraska
Reimbursement grant up to $150,000 for Nebraska businesses building a new product prototype, if you can match at least half the cost.
Omaha 100 Business Lending
Omaha 100 Inc. · Nebraska
Business loans up to $250,000 with fixed rates and flexible terms for small business owners and entrepreneurs in Omaha.
Innovation Advancement Fund
NUtech Ventures (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) · Nebraska
Up to $20,000 for UNL faculty teams advancing university-owned technology toward commercialization; the 2026 round closed September 15.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to Nebraska 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 Nebraska deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In Nebraska that means the Biennial Report — Due April 1 in odd-numbered years. Delinquent after June 16.
This page exists because Nebraska has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a Nebraska 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 Nebraska books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.