Grants and Financing for Small Businesses and Non-Profits

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
The Office of Grant Administration oversees a wide variety of grant programs for farmers and ranchers, non-profits, federal/ state/ local government, institutions of higher education, schools (k-12), and other businesses. Program types include climate smart agriculture, healthy food systems, economic development and relief, healthy food systems, outreach and education, research, and veterinary programs.

Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Program
Provides low-interest rate loans between $200,000 and $900,000 for site mitigation and restorations. Loans available to eligible public or private property owners, including government agencies, private property owners, and non-profits.

California Pollution Control Financing Authority (CPCFA)
Provides tax-exempt bond financing to California businesses, irrespective of company size, for the acquisition, construction, or installation of qualified pollution control, waste disposal, waste recovery facilities, and the acquisition and installation of new equipment.

GoGreen Business Energy Financing
Helps small and medium-sized businesses upgrade outdated equipment to more energy-efficient models. Connects you to contractors, project managers and lenders to help implement energy-saving measures including efficient heating and cooling systems, LED lighting, fans, well pumps, cool roofs, insulation, Energy Star appliances, and more.

Industrial Development Bonds
Tax-exempt financing up to $10 million for qualified manufacturing and processing companies for the construction or acquisition of facilities and equipment. IDBs allow private companies to borrow at low interest rates normally reserved for state and local governmental entities.

Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) Loan Program
Provides loans, technical assistance, and no-cost product marketing to businesses that use materials from the waste stream to manufacture their products and are located in a RMDZ. Zones cover roughly 88,000 square miles of California from the Oregon border to San Diego.

Zero-Emission Truck Loan Pilot Project
Designed to provide financing opportunities to small businesses to transition to zero-emission vehicles and charging or fueling infrastructure.

California State Trade Export Program
Helps small businesses to begin exporting or grow their existing export sales by providing reimbursable Export Vouchers and implementing STEP Events, which includes organizing state pavilions at international trade shows and trade missions.

California Capital Access Programs
Programs encourages lenders to make loans to small businesses that may have difficulty obtaining capital. These credit enhancement mechanisms minimizes the credit risk for lenders, and makes it possible for new and existing businesses in California to qualify for small business loans. Programs include: CalCAP for Small Business, CalCAP Collateral Support, Americans with Disabilities Act Financing, California Seismic Safety Financing and CalCAP Zero-Emission.

IBank

Disaster Relief Loan Guarantee Program
Incentivizes lenders to help businesses that have suffered a loss (either physical or economic) due to a a declared disaster. Loans available up to $1 million. Eligible applicants include small businesses with 1-750 employees.

Farm Loan Program
Designed to support direct loans to small farms in California. Loans are backed up to 90% by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Jump Start Microloan Program
Incentivizes participating lenders to loan to small businesses in low-wealth and underserved communities such as women, people of color, veterans, the disabled and those previously incarcerated. Jump Start microloans are available in amounts from $500 to $10,000.

Small Business Loan Guarantee Program
Incentivizes participating lenders to loan to small businesses that experience capital barriers. The guarantee minimizes the credit risk for lenders, and makes it possible for new and existing businesses in California to qualify for small business loans. Loans available up to $5 million. Eligible applicants include small businesses with 1-750 employees.

Venture Capital Program
Designed to create a more inclusive venture capital ecosystem, by:

• Supporting underrepresented venture capital managers
• Investing in underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs and business owners
• Investing in geographic areas that are socio-economically disadvantaged or that receive very limited venture capital funding
• Promoting climate equity and climate justice

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Rural Development Business Programs
Provides loans, loan guarantees, and grants are available to individuals, businesses, cooperatives, farmers and ranchers, public bodies, non-profit corporations, Native American Tribes, and private companies in rural communities. Business Programs are often leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business and credit needs in underserved areas.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

Disaster Assistance
Covers losses not covered by insurance or funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for businesses in a declared disaster area as well as business operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.