Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans

Who qualifies

Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans is a private loan from Accion Opportunity Fund, open to businesses nationwide, with a published award of $5,000–$250,000. Deadline for Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans: Rolling — applications accepted year-round with no cycle deadlines.

• Business must be based in the United States
• Minimum 1 year in business (some flexibility for newer businesses with strong revenue)
• Minimum $50,000 in annual business revenue (some flexibility below this threshold with strong business plan)
• No minimum credit score — AOF uses alternative underwriting based on business cash flow, bank statements, and repayment capacity
• For-profit businesses only (not nonprofit organizations)
• Owner must be at least 18 years of age
• Business must have a business bank account
• Priority given to women, immigrants, people of color, and businesses in low-to-moderate income communities — but eligibility is not restricted to these groups

Hard requirements

• Minimum $50,000 annual revenue

What it covers

Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans is a private loan from Accion Opportunity Fund, open to businesses nationwide, with a published award of $5,000–$250,000. Deadline for Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans: Rolling — applications accepted year-round with no cycle deadlines. Accion Opportunity Fund covers 7 categories of eligible expense and excludes 4. Median loan is approximately $50,000–$80,000. Accion Opportunity Fund pays out as a loan. Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026.

How to apply

Applying to Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans ($5,000–$250,000 from Accion Opportunity Fund, businesses nationwide) takes 4 steps and about 5 hours in total. Deadline for Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans: Rolling — applications accepted year-round with no cycle deadlines.

1. 1

   Submit online pre-application

   Complete the online intake form at accionopportunityfund.org/apply. Provide basic business information: type, industry, time in business, annual revenue, and loan purpose. Takes approximately 15–20 minutes. AOF responds within 1–2 business days.

   ~0.5 hrs

2. 2

   Gather and upload financial documents

   AOF's loan officer will request: 3–6 months of business bank statements, most recent year's business tax return (or YTD P&L if <1yr in business), and a brief explanation of how the loan will be used. AOF's underwriting is primarily cash-flow based.

   ~3 hrs

3. 3

   Loan officer review and decision

   An AOF loan officer reviews the application and documents. They may call to clarify details or request additional information. Decision typically issued within 5–10 business days of a complete file.

   ~0.5 hrs

4. 4

   Sign loan agreement and receive funds

   Approved applicants sign a loan agreement. Funds are typically disbursed within 3–5 business days of signed agreement via ACH to the business bank account. AOF also connects borrowers to free coaching resources at this stage.

   ~1 hrs

Deadline & timing

Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026. Deadline for Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans: Rolling — applications accepted year-round with no cycle deadlines. Accion Opportunity Fund — Small Business Loans awards $5,000–$250,000 to businesses nationwide through Accion Opportunity Fund. The Accion Opportunity Fund application runs to 4 steps and about 5 hours of work in total. Accion Opportunity Fund sits at the private level and is classified as a loan. CDFI loans for founders banks turn away — that is Accion Opportunity Fund in one line. Median loan is approximately $50,000–$80,000.

AOF accepts applications on a continuous rolling basis. No intake windows or cycles. Loan decisions typically issued within 5–10 business days of a completed application.