United States / Funding / By state / Vermont
Funding for startups in Vermont
Vermont runs 12 programmes of its own, and 9 of them take applications right now. The 63 federal programmes further down are open to Vermont companies too. We read each one on its official site and note the date we checked.
Run by Vermont and local bodies
Elevate Vermont SBIR/STTR Matching Grant
Vermont Department of Economic Development (Agency of Commerce and Community Development) · Vermont
A non-competitive $50,000 state match for Vermont businesses that already won a federal SBIR or STTR award, to help commercialize their technology.
Entrepreneurial Loan Program (ELP)
Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) · Vermont
A VEDA loan up to $500,000 for Vermont seed and start-up businesses that can't get conventional bank financing.
Fresh Tracks Capital
Fresh Tracks Capital · Vermont
A Vermont venture capital fund investing roughly $600,000 on average in Vermont-based companies across manufacturing, tech, food, and more.
Loan Participation Program (SSBCI)
Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) · Vermont
VEDA co-lends alongside a bank on loans up to $20 million total project size, often at a lower rate, for Vermont businesses under 750 employees.
UVMVentures Fund
University of Vermont, Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) · Vermont
A competitive UVM fund, backed by $100,000 a year from the State of Vermont, to help faculty discoveries reach commercialization.
Vermont Community Loan Fund — Business Loans
Vermont Community Loan Fund · Vermont
A Vermont CDFI lending to businesses at any stage that conventional banks turn down, with two dedicated farm, food, and forestry loan tracks.
Vermont Seed Capital Fund
Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) · Vermont
VCET's evergreen seed fund makes equity investments in early-stage Vermont tech and scalable companies, most sectors welcome.
Vermont Small Business Loan Program
Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) · Vermont
A VEDA loan up to $1 million for Vermont small businesses turned down for conventional financing, for fixed assets or working capital.
Vermont Venture Capital Program (SSBCI)
Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) · Vermont
State-backed equity capital for Vermont companies, invested through five partner VC funds rather than a direct application to VEDA.
SPARK-VT / Pre-SPARK
University of Vermont, Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) · Vermont
UVM funds $25,000 to $45,000 over two years to help faculty researchers turn a discovery into a startup-ready prototype.
Working Lands Enterprise Initiative — Business Enhancement Grant
Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board (Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets) · Vermont
An annual state grant round for Vermont farm, food, and forestry businesses, opening October 9 through December 10, 2026 for FY'27.
Catamount Innovation Fund
University of Vermont, Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) · Vermont
A UVM student-run fund and mentoring program that backs UVM student startup companies.
Want to filter these by amount or stage? Open them in the full directory.
Federal programmes open to Vermont 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 Vermont deadline funders will ask about
Most programmes above ask for financials and a company in good standing. In Vermont that means the Annual Report — Due within 3 months after the LLC's fiscal year end.
This page exists because Vermont has at least 2 verified programmes of its own. See every state, or tell us about a Vermont 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 Vermont books in that shape year-round, so applying is an export rather than a rebuild.