Organizations supporting business investments in Connecticut include:

BDC Capital

• Includes term loans, lines of credit, and mezzanine capital
• Funding can be used for purposes such as working capital, equipment purchases, real estate acquisition, debt restructuring, and business expansion

The Business Development Company

• Supports companies that require funding that is unavailable through traditional sources.
• Provides loans of $90,000 to $600,000 to companies in eastern Connecticut

Community Investment Corporation (CIC)

CIC is a provider of the SBA 504 loan as well as the following smaller loan options:

• MicroNOW, offering up to $15,000 
• Microloans of $15,000 to $50,000
• Community Advantage Loans of $50,000 to $250,000

Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT)

• Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund Voucher Program, providing between $5,000 and $49,000 to purchase equipment or take other actions to foster innovation
• Industry 4.0 IoT Integration Voucher Program, which provides vouchers of up to $20,000 for the adoption and integration of Internet of Things solutions

Connecticut Economic Development Fund (CEDF)

In addition to offering SBA microloans, CEDF provides a suite of financing opportunities. These include:

• Term loans of $1,000 and $250,000 
• Commercial real estate loans of up to $250,000 
• Business lines of credit, up to $500,000

Connecticut Innovations

Connecticut Innovations serves as Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm and the leading source of financing for innovative, growing companies. Financing options include:

• Equity financing of up to $1.5 million per round
• The Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund, a $200 million fund providing secured convertible loans or equity to startups in the fields of bioscience, IT, clean tech, photonics, and advanced materials
• A Pre-Seed Fund of up to $150,000 to help early-stage companies grow
• Venture debt financing of $150,000 to $2 million
• The Angel Investor Tax Credit Program, which helps make your company more appealing to angel investors
• Capital Access for Business, which provides financial assistance to help small businesses qualify for bank loans
• Low-interest loans of up to $150,000 to companies in the CI portfolio

CTNext Programs

• The Proof-of-Concept Initiative, a partnership with Connecticut Innovations offering up to $100,000 to help companies bring their ideas to market
• The Technology Talent Bridge grant program providing up to $25,000 to hire student interns
• Growth Company Grants of up to $25,000 to accelerate business growth
• The Entrepreneur Innovation Awards offering $10,000 grants to help advance business ideas

Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO Inc.)

• Offers loans of up to $150,000

Launc[H]

• One of four Innovation Places designated by CTNext
• Makes priority-based investments to attract and grow businesses in the Hartford area
• Focuses on insurance technology, medical technology, advanced manufacturing, and cultural firms

Middlesex County Revitalization Commission

• Offers low-interest loans and/or matching grants to small and mid-sized businesses in the Middlesex County region

New Haven Innovation Collaborative

• One of the CTNext Innovation Places
• Provides financial support to entrepreneurs in the New Haven region, including the Collab cohort program with seed funding

Northeastern CT Economic Alliance

• Offers loans to businesses in a 21-town region
• Loans are generally $5,000 to $50,000, but larger ones can be structured
• Typically offered to smaller companies, including startups who have trouble qualifying for a bank loan

Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer)

• One of the CTNext Innovation Places
• Provides loans to businesses that are not yet bank-ready, offering initial capital and bridging funding gaps
• Loans are intended to help small and medium-sized businesses expand, upgrade their machinery or equipment, and/or relocate in the region

Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA)

Loan products include:

• Minority Business Revolving Loan Fund, providing loans of $10,000 to $100,000 to minority- and/or women-owned businesses in Connecticut
• Neighborhood Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund, offering loans of $30,000 to $75,000 to businesses in Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, and New Haven
• Merchants Revolving Loan Fund, available to Hartford businesses that have trouble qualifying for traditional financing; provides loans of up to $50,000

StamfordNext

• One of CTNext’s Innovation Places
• Offers matching grants to assist entrepreneurs in starting or growing a business in Stamford

Waterbury Development Corporation

• Offers loan options for business projects in Waterbury

Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC)

• Regularly offers grants of between $2,500 and $10,000 to women-owned small businesses in Connecticut, as well as grants and incentives aimed at child care providers.