The following agencies and programs are instrumental for the creation and sustainability of Micro Enterprise development:
Small Business Administration (SBA)
PRIME (Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs)
Provides assistance to various organizations that help low-income entrepreneurs who lack sufficient training and education to gain access to capital to establish and expand their small businesses.
Microloan Program
Provides small, short-term loans to small business and certain types of not-for-profit child-care centers as well as provides technical assistance to put borrowers in a position to succeed.
Women’s Business Centers (WBC)
Represent a national network of nearly 100 educational centers designed to assist women start and grow small businesses.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
HUD continues to help local governments undertake a wide range of activities intended to create suitable living environments, provide decent affordable housing and create economic opportunities, primarily for persons of low and moderate income.
Department of Agriculture
Rural Business Enterprise Grants
Provides grants for rural projects that finance and facilitate development of small and emerging rural businesses help fund business incubators, and help fund employment related adult education programs.
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
Goal is to help new and existing rural microentrepreneurs by providing funds to microenterprise development organizations for microlending and technical assistance to their microloan prospects & borrowers.
Department of Treasury
Community Development Financial Institution Funds (CDFI)
Helps promote access to capital and local economic growth in urban and rural low-income communities across the nation.
Download this page as a pdf.