Colorado Startup Loan Fund
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) — Business Funding & Incentives Division
Up to $150,000
Researched for this program: 4 rejection traps · 5 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
State-backed startup loans for CO
A state-sponsored revolving loan fund that provides mission-driven capital to Colorado entrepreneurs who cannot access traditional bank financing — to start, restart, rebuild, or restructure a business. Created under Colorado HB21-1288, OEDIT seeds a network of nonprofit and CDFI lenders (including Colorado Enterprise Fund and CEDS Finance) who make loans under $150,000 plus microloans to small businesses statewide. As loans are repaid, the dollars revolve to fund new entrepreneurs. Lenders pair the capital with free business coaching and navigation support. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the participating lenders.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $5,000 – $150,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards are smaller working-capital and startup loans well under the $150,000 ceiling — …
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications accepted on an ongoing basis through participating lenders.
- Status
- active
- States
- Colorado
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
Colorado Startup Loan Fund is a state loan from Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) — Business Funding & Incentives Division, open to businesses in Colorado, with a published award of Up to $150,000. Deadline for Colorado Startup Loan Fund: Rolling — applications accepted on an ongoing basis through participating lenders. Colorado Startup Loan Fund eligibility is judged against 5 published criteria. Colorado Startup Loan Fund is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026.
- For-profit entity based in Colorado
- 25 or fewer full-time employees
- Less than $2,000,000 per year in gross annual revenue
- Typically serves borrowers who have struggled to secure conventional bank financing, need a smaller-than-average loan, or have not borrowed before
- Must apply through a participating OEDIT lender
What it covers
Colorado Startup Loan Fund is a state loan from Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) — Business Funding & Incentives Division, open to businesses in Colorado, with a published award of Up to $150,000. Deadline for Colorado Startup Loan Fund: Rolling — applications accepted on an ongoing basis through participating lenders. Colorado Startup Loan Fund covers 5 categories of eligible expense and excludes 3. Colorado Startup Loan Fund pays out as a loan. Colorado Startup Loan Fund is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026. State-backed startup loans for CO — that is Colorado Startup Loan Fund in one line.
Eligible expenses
- Working capital
- Inventory
- Equipment and assets
- Startup and launch costs
- Business restart/restructuring costs
Ineligible expenses
- Speculative real estate investment
- Personal (non-business) expenses
- Activities outside Colorado
How to apply
Applying to Colorado Startup Loan Fund takes 4 steps and about 13 hours in total; the award is Up to $150,000 from Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) — Business Funding & Incentives Division, open to businesses in Colorado. Deadline for Colorado Startup Loan Fund: Rolling — applications accepted on an ongoing basis through participating lenders.
-
1
Confirm eligibility and pick a lender
Verify you are a Colorado for-profit with 25 or fewer employees and under $2M revenue, then choose a participating lender (e.g., Colorado Enterprise Fund or CEDS Finance) from OEDIT's network.
~2 hrs
-
2
Prepare loan application package
Assemble the lender's required documents — business plan or summary, financials/projections, owner background, and use-of-funds. CDFI lenders provide coaching to help complete this.
~6 hrs
-
3
Submit and underwrite
Submit to the lender; they underwrite using mission-driven criteria (character, capacity, cash flow) rather than strict bank scoring, and may offer business navigation support during review.
~3 hrs
-
4
Close and draw
On approval, execute the loan documents and receive funds. Free coaching continues over the life of the loan.
~2 hrs
This is debt, not a grant — but the participating CDFI lenders weigh character and cash flow over credit score, and bundle free coaching. If a bank already turned you down, that's exactly the borrower profile this fund is designed for; lead with your cash-flow story, not your FICO.
Deadline & timing
Colorado Startup Loan Fund is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026. Deadline for Colorado Startup Loan Fund: Rolling — applications accepted on an ongoing basis through participating lenders. Colorado Startup Loan Fund awards Up to $150,000 to businesses in Colorado through Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) — Business Funding & Incentives Division. The Colorado Startup Loan Fund application runs to 4 steps and about 13 hours of work in total. Colorado Startup Loan Fund sits at the state level and is classified as a loan.
There is no fixed deadline. Borrowers apply directly to one of OEDIT's participating lenders (e.g., Colorado Enterprise Fund, CEDS Finance). Funds are available as long as the revolving fund has capital to deploy.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.