United States / Funding / By state / North Dakota
Funding for startups in North Dakota
North Dakota runs 8 programmes of its own, and 6 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to North Dakota companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by North Dakota and local bodies
Angel Match Program (AMP)
North Dakota Department of Commerce · North Dakota
State matches private investment 1:1 up to $250,000 for high-growth North Dakota startups with fewer than 250 employees.
Automation Tax Credit
North Dakota Department of Commerce · North Dakota
A tax credit of up to 15% of automation equipment costs for certified North Dakota manufacturing and agriculture businesses.
New/Expanding Business Corporate Income Tax Exemption
North Dakota Department of Commerce, via the State Board of Equalization · North Dakota
A 5-year exemption from North Dakota corporate income tax for new primary-sector businesses, extendable for major expansions.
North Dakota Development Fund
North Dakota Department of Commerce · North Dakota
Gap financing up to $3 million for North Dakota primary-sector businesses covering working capital, equipment, or facility costs.
Regional Rural Development Revolving Loan Fund
North Dakota Development Fund, North Dakota Department of Commerce · North Dakota
Gap financing up to $3 million, debt or equity, for primary-sector businesses in small or rural North Dakota communities.
Wonder Fund North Dakota
North Dakota Department of Commerce, managed by O'Leary Ventures · North Dakota
Equity co-investment from a $45 million SSBCI-backed fund for North Dakota early-stage and growth companies, managed by O'Leary Ventures.
Legacy Investment for Technology (LIFT) Loan Fund
North Dakota Department of Commerce · North Dakota
0%-interest loans for North Dakota tech commercialization, with the next annual application window opening July 1, 2026.
Innovate ND
North Dakota Department of Commerce, via ND Women's Business Center, NDeavor, and UND Center for Innovation · North Dakota
Reimbursement grants up to $50,000 for scalable North Dakota startups with a working prototype; applications closed until the next biennium.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to North Dakota 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 North Dakota deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In North Dakota that means the Annual Report — Due on or before November 15 each year (first report due the year after formation). Farm/ranch LLCs use April 15 instead.
This page exists because North Dakota has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a North Dakota 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 North Dakota books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.