How to Get the Money Your Business Needs — The Blueprint to Capital & Funding That Actually Works

Grant Name

Eligibility

Award Amount

Deadline(s)

Required Forms & Attachments

SBIR Phase I (federal)

U.S. small biz; <50 employees; R&D in tech/innovation

~$50 000–$250 000

Rolling, agency-specific

SF 424 (Application); Project Narrative; Commercialization Plan; Biographical Sketches; Budget Spreadsheet

Amber Grant (private – WomensNet)

Women-owned U.S. or Canadian small biz

$10 000/month; $25 000 annual

Monthly (1st–30th)

Online application; Business plan summary; Explanation of how funds will be used; Optional video pitch

State Economic Dev. Grant (e.g. CA GO-Biz)

Biz headquartered in state; job creation/expansion

$5 000–$150 000

Varies by region (Q1/Q3)

State grant form; Proof of state registration; 3-yr financial projections; Job-creation plan; Project budget

FedEx Small Business Grant (private)

U.S. or Canadian biz; FedEx customer

$30 000–$50 000

Annual (July)

Online form; 30-sec “elevator pitch” video; Exhibit of how funds support growth; Financial statements

Local Economic Revitalization (municipal)

Biz in designated zones; minority/veteran bonus

$2 000–$25 000

Quarterly

Local application; Proof of eligibility (address, ownership); Project scope; Cost estimates; Grant agreement

Loan Type

Rates & Fees

Collateral/Guarantee

Approval Timeline

Pros

Cons

SBA 7(a)

Prime + 2.75–4.75%; SBA guarantee fee 0.25–3.5%

Business assets; personal guarantee required

30–90 days

Low rates; long terms (up to 25 yrs for RE); USA-backed

Lengthy process; strict docs; personal guarantee

Microloans (e.g. SBA Microloan)

8–13% APR; origination fee up to 4%

Usually inventory/furniture; personal guarantee

2–6 weeks

Quick; small amounts ($500–$50 000); flexible use

Smaller limits; higher APR; shorter terms (up to 6 yrs)

Bank Term Loans

6–12% APR; application fee / annual fee

Typically equipment or real estate; guarantee

2–8 weeks

Flexible amounts; relationship banking benefits

Stricter credit; may need years in biz; slower funding

Online Lender Term Loans

10–30% APR; origination 1–5%

Varies; often personal guarantee

1–7 days

Fast funding; minimal paperwork

High cost; short tenure (6–18 months)

Investor Type

Check Size

Stage & Sectors

Due Diligence

What They Look For

Angel Investors

$10 K–$250 K

Seed/Pre-seed; any high-growth

Founder background; basic financials; market

Strong team; clear problem/solution; early traction

Seed-Stage VCs

$250 K–$5 M

Seed–Series A; SaaS, fintech, health

Cap table; legal docs; 3-yr projections; tech due diligence

Scalable model; defensible moat; growth metrics

Strategic Corporate VCs

$1 M–$20 M

Growth stage; strategic fit

Alignment with corporate strategy; IP review

Technology synergy; exit potential via acquisition

Source

Qualification

Approach

Example/Success Story

Revenue-Based Financing

$100 K+ annual revenue; 6+ months track record

Pitch monthly revenue share; simple docs

Pillow Funds helped a DTC brand scale 30% MoM

Equity Crowdfunding

Reg CF compliance; marketing plan

Launch campaign on Wefunder/Repubic; build pre-launch list

BrewBike raised $1 M in 30 days on SmashFund

Accelerator Programs

Early traction; scalable idea

Apply to Y Combinator, Techstars; refine application video

Airbnb went through Y C in 2009

Local Nonprofit Funds

Community impact; local HQ

Connect via your Chamber of Commerce; pitch for small grants

A Midwest café got $10 K from its county’s Revitalization Fund

Corporate Grants

Industry alignment; pilot proposals

Reach out to corporate social-impact teams; propose PoC

A SaaS startup won $50 K from Google for Startups for cloud credits

Option

Funding Amount

Cost (Int./Dilution)

Time to Fund

Strategic Value

Grant A (SBIR I)

$50 K

$0 (non-dilutive)

8 wks

High R&D cred

Grant B (Amber)

$10 K

$0

4 wks

Medium branding

Grant C (State ED)

$100 K

$0

12 wks

Local partnerships

Loan A (SBA 7(a))

$150 K

7.5% APR

8 wks

Low cost debt

Loan B (Microloan)

$25 K

10% APR

3 wks

Quick access

Loan C (Bank)

$200 K

6.5% APR

6 wks

Relationship

Investor A (Angel)

$100 K

10% equity

6 wks

Mentor network

Investor B (Seed VC)

$500 K

20% equity

10 wks

Growth capital

Investor C (Corp VC)

$1 M

15% equity

12 wks

Strategic alliance

Week(s)

Activities

1–2

• Research & shortlist 5 grants, 3 loans, 5 investors

• Kickoff meeting; assign owners

3–6

• Draft business plan, exec summary, financials

• Build pitch deck & grant proposals

7–10

• Submit grant apps & loan packages

• Pitch investors; collect term sheets

11–12

• Follow up on all submissions

• Negotiate terms; plan fallback options