Local-level sponsored loans, grants, and other funding programs to help small-business owners during the COVID-19 crisis. Regions: Statewide, Boston Metro, Western Massachusetts, Central Massachusetts, and Eastern Massachusetts.

Boston Metro:

Frequenty asked Questions: For Businesses in Boston (General)

A continuously updated document that reflects the latest concerns and most up-to-date comprehensive information for businesses in Boston, including COVID-19 regulations and policies for businesses in a wide-range of industries, rent, and mortgages, taxes, financial assistance, unemployment assistance, and insurance, and more.

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Jobs for New England (JNE) Working Capital Lending Program

Targets small businesses that are Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLB) members and need assistance in addition to the parameters of the federal PPP.

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BLDC Loan Fund (Funding Program)

The BLDC Loan Fund works to increase employment opportunities for Boston residents by providing small business loans with a focus on commercial, industrial, and service companies. The BLDC Loan Fund is available for existing businesses, new ventures, and businesses relocating to the City of Boston. Loans may be used to support working capital needs as well as the purchase of new business property, equipment, machinery, and inventory. The new Revolving Loan Fund is available for coronavirus-impacted small businesses in Boston.

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Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation Loan Funds (Funding Program)

Provides Quick Capital Loans with rapid approval, no application fee, to businesses in the City of Boston
Provides a Neighborhood Loan Fund and a Boston Storefronts loan (to be used for signage and storefront improvements) to support residents or businesses in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Roslindale, or Jamaica Plain, specifically. To be used for working capital needs.

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Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (Community Support)

DBEDC works collaboratively with residents, businesses, and many partners to bring about long-lasting positive change to our Dorchester communities. Through real estate development, community organizing and economic development efforts DBEDC strives to build stronger neighborhoods, empower individuals and foster economic justice and opportunity.

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Accion (Small Business Loans & Advising)

Empowers small business owners through access to capital and education. They offer affordable business loans, complemented by in-depth guidance, coaching and an entire support system of peers, mentors and resources.

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Lawyers for Civil Rights (Pro Bono Legal)

Fosters equal opportunity and fights discrimination on behalf of people of color and immigrants through legal action, education, and advocacy.

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Local Enterprise Assistance Fund - LEAF (Business Advice & Guidance)

Offers advice/guidance to businesses and helps them navigate the landscape by pointing them towards various resources available for helping companies struggling with COVID-19.

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New Entry Sustainable Farming Project (Farming Industry Support)

Provide resources to farms struggling due to COVID-19 as well as programs throughout the year (farmer training, national and state networks, new entry food hub).

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TLE Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, Inc. (Support Young Entrepreneurs' Learning)

Help young adults across Massachusetts learn more about the benefits of entrepreneurship and provide support for those with a demonstrated interest in becoming the next generation of urban entrepreneurs. 

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African Community Economic Development of New England - ACEDONE (Minority Education)

Help East African refugee and immigrant families in Boston to develop into a self-sufficient and vital community by providing the youth with quality education and life experiences needed to reach full potential as adult American citizens. They provide academic enrichment, civic engagement, job training and placement, youth leadership development, career counseling, and business development.

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Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets (Small Business Support for Minorities)

Non-profit organization that brings together local businesses, residents, and neighborhood organizations to support the business district and raise its profile by providing technical, financial, and design support. Focus on the development of small businesses as they are the main providers of jobs and opportunities for people of color, who are excluded from participating in the larger system.

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Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (Sustainable Housing & Commerical Space)

Aim to build a better, stronger community in Codman Square and South Dorchester by creating housing and commercial spaces that are safe, sustainable, and affordable, promoting financial and economic stability for residents and for the neighborhood, and providing residents of all ages with opportunities and skills to empower themselves to improve their lives.

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Fairmount Innovation Lab (Entrepreneurship Programs)

FIL Launchpad is an intensive 12 week program for highly committed creative or social entrepreneurs who are ready to take their ideas and businesses to the next level. The program provides selected entrepreneurs with vital information through weekly presentations, peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, access to a variety of subject matter experts and a community of entrepreneurs.

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Jamaica Plan Neighborhood Development Corporation (Affordable Housing, Childcare & Additional Services)

Transform the lives and amplify the voices of Boston residents who have been excluded from prosperity by an inequitable economic system. JPNDC develops affordable housing to allow people to thrive, provides services that help people build on their strengths and organizes people to pursue the changes they desire.

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Commonwealth Kitchen (Corporate Resources)

Incubator of food/restaurant businesses. Compiled a comprehensive list of resources for food/restaurant business here

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LISC Boston

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) equips communities with the capital, strategy, and know-how to become places where people and small businesses can thrive. As part of a national organization with deep local roots, LISC Boston is uniquely positioned to share resources, best practices, and innovations with the communities we serve.
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Central Massachusetts:

Center for Women & Enterprise (Small Business Funding & Resources)

Serves small businesses throughout New England by delivering classes, consulting and virtual support through webinars. CWE compiles a list of COVID-19 funding opportunities and resources that may be available to SMBs and offers guidance to help connect SMBs to the appropriate resources.

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NewVue Communities (Finance Management & Customer Engagement)

Provides assistance to open and grow small businesses, including coaching and financing.

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North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (Finance Management & Customer Engagment)

The North Central Massachusetts chamber of commerce provides business growth trainings/workshops, business counselling services, loan counselling and micro-lending.

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Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation (Finance Management & Employee Support)

Provides small business loans (from $500 to $100k) to businesses that cannot access funding through conventional resources, and also loan counselling. Provides computer/software training for small business employees. 

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South Middlesex Opportunity Council - SMOC (Finance Management)

Offers loans up to $50k for small businesses within 20 miles of the towns of Framingham and Worcester. Typical interest rates fall between 8% and 10%. Also provides general business counselling services, such as business planning basics, financial forecasting, competitive analysis, and purchasing a business with entrepreneurs in the area.

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Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts (Finance Management & Customer Engagement)

Provides business counselling and financing to small businesses operated by Southeast Asian residents of Worcester.

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Western Massachusetts:

Ascentria (Client Center for Low-Income, Refugee & Immigrant Community)

Focus to break the cycle of poverty, and build thriving communities where everyone has the chance to achieve their full potential, regardless of background or disadvantage. Care model enables wrap-around services that empower vulnerable individuals and families in transition to navigate successfully through life's challenges and beyond.

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Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture - CISA (Local Agriculture)

CISA is a non-profit with various programs aimed to supporting local agriculture. CISA's Buy Locally Grown® program connects farmers and the community, improving farm business viability and enhancing the quality of life for residents across the region. Additional programs include Senior FarmShare, technical assistance for farms and food businesses, and research and support for local food and farm businesses of all kinds, including processors, distributors, and producers of value-added products like jams, cheeses, and pickles.

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Franklin County CDC (Community Development Corporation)

FCCDC is an economic development non profit organization providing comprehensive business development education, access to capital, commercial office and manufacturing space plus home of the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center.

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Nuestras Raices Inc. (Urban Agriculture Organization)

Grassroots urban agriculture organization with the goal of creating healthy environments, celebrating agriculture, and harnessing collective energy to advance their vision of a just and sustainable future.

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Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation - PERC (Economic Development & Social Welfare)

PERC’s primary purpose is to further the economic development and social welfare of the City of Pittsfield and Berkshire County to increase employment opportunities and facilitate growth and development of small businesses. PERC provides direct loans and access to a variety of public loan programs to help businesses that are unable to obtain conventional financing. PERC offers several programs as assistance to entrepeneurs locating or expanding businesses.

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Valley Community Development (Small Business Assistance, Affordable Housing & Homeownership Planning)

Valley CDC offers homeownership planning in the form of workshops and individual counseling to help navigate the complicated homebuying process. They also have a Small Business Development program to provide comprehensive pro-active support for entrepeneurs planning to launch their own businesses and for owners of existing small businesses. Finally, Valley CDC also has an affordable housing development with rental and ownership housing units in Massachusetts' real estate markets.

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Wellspring Cooperative Corporation (Cooperative Development Organization)

The Wellspring Cooperative Corporation is a community-based cooperative development organization with a mission to create a network of worker owned companies in inner city Springfield, Massachusetts that will provide on-the-job training, employment and wealth creation opportunities for low income and unemployed residents of the city.

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Eastern Massachusetts:

Center for Women & Enterprise (Small Business Funding & Resources)

Serves small businesses throughout New England by delivering classes, consulting and virtual support through webinars. CWE compiles a list of COVID-19 funding opportunities and resources that may be available to SMBs and offers guidance to help connect SMBs to the appropriate resources.

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Entrepreneurship Center @ CTI (Finance Management & Employee Support)

Programs span financial education, asset development, financial counseling, small business development, credit building and repair, free tax preparation, foreclosure prevention and more. Provides small business development services that include technical assistance such as one-one-one counseling, workshops, and trainings and financial assistance through microlending.

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Hispanic American Institute (Finance Management)

Leads financing initiatives to bring together Hispanic small business owners and sources of financing from private, public and non-profit sectors.

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Lowell Development Financial Corporation (Finance Management)

Provides loans to businesses in the Lowell region for commercial real estate, and start-up businesses.

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Mill Cities Community Investments (Finance Management)

Delivers loan and investment services to people and communities that have often been under served by other financial organizations. MCCI often teams up with traditional banks to develop innovative ways to deliver loans, investments, and financial services. This includes jointly funding community projects.

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North Shore Community Development Coalition, Inc. (Finance Management & Customer Engagement)

We offer technical assistance on marketing, financial analysis, customer analysis, digitization, acquiring funding, and time management.

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North Shore Latino Business Association (Customer Engagement)

Provides general counselling for start-ups and small business operated by Hispanic residents of the North Shore region.

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Coastal Community Capital (Finance Management)

Provides funding via SBA loans. For the businesses that don't qualify for SBA loans, the organization provides direct loans with its own funding.

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EforAll (Corporate Resources)

Business accelerator. One-year program geared towards starting or growing businesses in the region.

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The Community Development Partnership - Cape CDP (Finance Management)

Now accepting applications for Micro-enterprise Relief Program COVID-19 loans.

Provides loans to micro-businesses (i.e., 5 or fewer employees). Offering a forgivable loan program for micro-businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the 8 Lower and Outer Cape towns. 

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GNEMSDC Massachusetts Advisors, Inc. (Corporate Resources)

Provides one-on-one consulting and training sessions on different business management topics, incl. growth strategy and financial management in order to expand business opportunities for Minority Business Enterprises.

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SCORE (Corporate Resources)

Connect with mentors to help navigate the Covid-19 crisis and focus on how to go about re-opening your business.

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WE CAN Center (Corporate Resources)

Provides one-on-one business counselling to women-operated businesses in the Cape area.

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