If you operate a business within the state of Georgia, you may be eligible for one of the grants or loans below. It’s no secret that starting, growing, or simply maintaining a business can be costly, and business owners often need funding options. The business grants and loans you’ll find on this page are only available to Georgia businesses. Take a look and discover whether any of these business funding options are right for you.
Department or Agency: ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)
Loan or Grant title: Microloans
Microloans in amounts ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 are available to Georgia businesses that have been in operation for at least two years. This program was created to give underserved businesses access to capital and to create and retain jobs. Funds can also be used toward vehicles, inventory, and equipment.
Department or Agency: Southwest Georgia United
Loan or Grant title: Small Business Loan Program
Businesses in Georgia that have less than 500 employees may be eligible for Southwest Georgia United’s Small Business Loan Program. This program was created to help underserved businesses access funds. Loans are made in amounts up to $250,000 and can be used toward working capital, inventory, equipment, franchise fees, and more.
Department or Agency: Southwest Georgia United
Loan or Grant title: Micro Loan Program
Micro Loans up to $50,000 (or 75% of the total project costs) are available for small businesses in rural areas of Georgia. Eligibility requirements include having ten or fewer full-time employees. Loan funds can be used toward inventory, furniture, supplies, minor renovations, and more.
Department or Agency: City of Savannah
Loan or Grant title: Business Loan Fund
Businesses in the city of Savannah may be eligible for a loan from the Business Loan Fund. The maximum loan amount is $150,000 and funds can be used toward most business purposes.
Department or Agency: City of Savannah
Loan or Grant title: Business Loan Guaranty
Businesses in the city of Savannah may be eligible for a Business Loan Guaranty. The guaranty amounts vary; the maximum is $100,000. Funds can be used for most business purposes.
Department or Agency: City of Savannah
Loan or Grant title: Small Steps Lending Program
Businesses in the city of Savannah may be eligible for a Small Steps Lending Program loan. The loan amounts vary up to $15,000 and can be used for most business purposes.
Department or Agency: City of Savannah
Loan or Grant title: Credit Building Loan Program
Businesses in the city of Savannah may be eligible for a loan through the Credit Building Loan Program. The loan amounts vary up to $1,000 and may be used for most business purposes.
Department or Agency: NewTown Loans
Loan or Grant title: Small Business Loans
Start-ups and small businesses in Macon-Bibb County may be eligible to apply for one of three business loan programs from NewTown Loans. Microloan amounts range from $500 to $10,000, mini loan amounts range from $10,000 to $50,000, and small business loan amounts range from $50,000 to $500,000. All the loans can be used for working capital, business acquisition, and more.
Department or Agency: Perry Mainstreet Development Board
Loan or Grant title: Downtown Development District Facade Grant Program
Grants for businesses within the city of Perry, Georgia, are available for the purpose of renovating, restoring, and restoring buildings and commercial spaces. Grants for minor improvements (awnings, signing, alley enhancements, etcetera) are available up to $750. Grants for major improvements (substantial restoration, painting, murals, etcetera) are available for up to $2,500.
Department or Agency: Perry Mainstreet Development Board
Loan or Grant title: BOOST Grant
Perry’s BOOST Grant was created to help local small business owners. The grant amounts range from $100 to $1,000. Funds can be used toward furniture, fixtures, security systems, interior renovations, machinery, and equipment.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Atlanta Recovery Loan Program
As part of the Atlanta Open For Business Fund, this loan program offers low-cost loans to businesses with less than 500 employees that operate in any Atlanta commercial area. Loans range from $25,000 to $100,000 and can be used toward purchasing land or commercial property, purchasing equipment and inventory, renovations, and working capital.
Department or Agency: ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)
Loan or Grant title: Commercial Loans
ACE’s Commercial Loan program offers qualifying Georgia businesses loans from $50,000 up to $1 million. To qualify, you must be a Georgia-based business that’s been in operation for at least two years. Funds can also be used toward vehicles, inventory, and equipment.
Department or Agency: ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)
Loan or Grant title: City of Atlanta Commercial Loans
ACE’s City of Atlanta Commercial Loans program gives Atlanta-based businesses loans from $50,000 to $250,000. To qualify, you must be a resident of Atlanta or have your business based in Atlanta, and your business needs to have been in operation for at least two years.
Department or Agency: ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)
Loan or Grant title: Metro Atlanta Commercial Loans
ACE also offers a Commercial Loan Program—with loans from $50,000 to $250,000—for businesses that operate in the Metro Atlanta area. To qualify, you must be a resident of Metro Atlanta or have your business based in Atlanta, and your business needs to have been in operation for at least two years.
Department or Agency: ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)
Loan or Grant title: 1.99% Energy Efficiency Loan
Through their Georgia Green Loan Program, ACE offers commercial building loans from $15,000 to $500,000 for companies that want to improve their facility’s energy efficiency.
Department or Agency: ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)
Loan or Grant title: Veteran Loan Program
ACE’s Veteran Loan Program gives military veterans and their spouses loans of up to $250,000 to use on working capital, equipment, inventory, machinery, business acquisitions, facilities improvements, and refinancing. You can also get free online training and coaching through the program.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: City of Atlanta Recovery Fund
Due to unprecedented water service disruption in Atlanta, Invest Atlanta is offering eligible businesses grants of up to $10,000 (plus $200 per eligible employee) to help offset business interruptions. To qualify, your business needs to be located in the designated water service disruption area. Applications opened on June 24 and they close on July 8, 2024.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Atlanta Cares Revolving Loan Fund
The Atlanta Cares Revolving Loan Fund was created to support Atlanta-based businesses with setbacks and slowdowns resulting from the COVID-19 shutdowns and economic shifts. Eligible businesses can apply for loans between $10,000 and $100,000 with terms of seven years and interest rates between 1-3%.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Atlanta Cares Revolving Loan Fund
The Atlanta Cares Revolving Loan Fund was created to support Atlanta-based businesses with setbacks and slowdowns resulting from the COVID-19 shutdowns and economic shifts. Eligible businesses can apply for loans between $10,000 and $100,000 with terms of seven years and interest rates between 1-3%.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Phoenix Fund
The Phoenix Fund gives small and medium-size businesses access to affordable loans between $10,000 and $100,000, with loan terms from three to seven years. To qualify, your business needs to be located in Atlanta, and needs to either create or retain one job per every $35,000 borrowed.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Opportunity Loan Fund
The Opportunity Loan Fund gives $100,000 loans to small and medium-size businesses that invest in creating new high-quality jobs. To qualify, your business needs to be located in Atlanta, and needs to create at least five quality jobs that include substantial healthcare coverage.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Empowerment Zone Program
To stimulate growth in Atlanta’s Empowerment Zones, Invest Atlanta offers loans between $25,000 and $50,000 to businesses in designated Empowerment Zones to use on inventory, working capital, leaseholder improvements, and property acquisition.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Atlanta Catalyst Fund
Invest Atlanta’s Catalyst Fund gives loans between $50,000 and $100,000 to businesses in distressed neighborhoods within Atlanta. Term lengths are between three and seven years, and borrowers need to be able to provide 20% equity.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Business Improvement Loan Fund
The Business Improvement Loan Fund offers loans up to $100,000 to businesses located within designated business improvement districts in Atlanta. Term lengths are between three and seven years, and borrowers need to be able to provide 20% equity.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Atlanta Street Vendor Loan Fund
Invest Atlanta gives microloans of up to $3,000 to vendors within Atlanta to purchase new vending carts that will be compliant with the city ordinance. The interest rate is 0%, and borrowers have to be able to match the funds they’re given.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Atlanta Forward Loan Fund
The Atlanta Forward Loan Fund gives loans ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to small businesses and startups located within accelerators, incubators, and co-working spaces in Atlanta. The interest rate is fixed at 2%. To qualify, businesses have to be located within Atlanta.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Community Loan Fund
Certain businesses in Atlanta can apply for the Community Loan Fund, which offers loans from $10,000 to $50,000 (up to $30,000 can go toward working capital) to businesses improving commercial property; purchasing equipment, furniture, or fixtures; or paying off high-interest business debt. The interest rate is fixed at 3%. To qualify, the business owner must be a recent graduate or attending a technical assistance program.
Department or Agency: Invest Atlanta
Loan or Grant title: Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund
The Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund gives financial support to construction and development businesses willing to take on brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. Only certain neighborhoods within Atlanta qualify for a brownfield cleanup project.
Department or Agency: Cobb County Economic Development Office
Loan or Grant title: Entrepreneurship Grant Program
Cobb County offers grants to qualifying startups and entrepreneurs in Cobb County to help them grow their businesses and create new jobs. Businesses can get up to $10,000 to put toward marketing, equipment, furnishings, technology, operational funds, leasehold improvements, or building renovations.
Department or Agency: Athens Downtown Development Authority (ADDA)
Loan or Grant title: Janey Mae Cooley Facade Grant
ADDA’s facade grant program gives 50% matching funds (up to $10,000) to businesses in downtown Athens that improve the exterior of their business facility—while still preserving its history and character. Eligible businesses must be located within downtown Athens and be easily visible or in public rights-of-way.
Department or Agency: Athens Downtown Development Authority (ADDA)
Loan or Grant title: Business Reach Grant for Interior Renovation
Designed to support business expansion and encourage new businesses to set up shop downtown, the Business Reach Grant for Interior Renovation program gives 50% matching funds (up to $10,000) to businesses in downtown Athens that take on eligible interior improvement projects. Eligible businesses must be located within downtown Athens—or plan to move there.
Department or Agency: Athens Downtown Development Authority (ADDA)
Loan or Grant title: Business Marketing Grant
To encourage downtown Athens businesses to invest in brand development and online marketing, the ADDA gives 50% matching funds (up to $5,000) to businesses for marketing-related expenses, from logo design and web development to ecommerce and social media optimization. Eligible businesses must be located within downtown Athens.
Department or Agency: Albany Community Together (ACT)
Loan or Grant title: Small Business Revolving Loan Fund
Albany Community Together (ACT)—a certified CDFI—offers loans up to $50,000 for businesses to purchase furniture and equipment, invest in real estate, or undergo renovations.
Department or Agency: Albany Community Together (ACT)
Loan or Grant title: Working Capital Loan
ACT gives businesses up to $50,000 in loans to address short-term working capital needs, like accounts payable, payroll, inventory, and repairs.
Department or Agency: Albany Community Together (ACT)
Loan or Grant title: Contractor Working Capital Loan
ACT’s Contractor Working Capital Loan offers short-term loans of up to $20,000 to contractors to finance specific projects and contracts. The loan amount can be no more than 20% of the contract.
Department or Agency: Albany Community Together (ACT)
Loan or Grant title: Micro Business Accelerate Loan Program
ACT’s Micro Business Accelerate Loan Program gives qualifying businesses up to $10,000 in increments to businesses that have struggled to obtain financing from traditional institutions. Businesses can put the funds toward business expansion or creating a new business.
