Massachusetts Small Business Technical Assistance Grant Program
MassDevelopment (formerly Mass Growth Capital Corporation)
$26K–$155K to intermediaries
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 7 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Free small business coaching via MA-funded nonprofits
Annual grant program funding Massachusetts nonprofits — CDCs, CDFIs, and community-based orgs — to deliver one-on-one coaching, workshops, and financing access to small businesses with under 20 employees and under $2.5M revenue. FY26 awarded $6.7M to 73 organizations statewide. Small businesses access services free through these intermediaries.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $26,700 – $155,750
- Realistic amount
- Businesses access free TA services; intermediary orgs receive $50K–$100K typically
- Deadline
- Annual RFP — FY26 applications closed October 9, 2025; FY27 RFP expected September 2026
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- MA
- Payment model
- advance
Who qualifies
- Must be a nonprofit: certified CDC (Chapter 40H), CDFI certified by US Treasury, or community-based nonprofit with established SMB TA programming
- Must serve Massachusetts small businesses with under 20 employees and under $2.5M annual revenue
- Priority given to organizations serving underserved markets: women, communities of color, veterans, immigrant entrepreneurs
- Priority given to orgs supporting worker cooperatives and ESOP-governed businesses
- Must have demonstrated track record delivering TA, training, or access to capital
- Application submitted through Submittable platform
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Must be a registered 501(c)(3)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Staffing costs for TA advisors, coaches, and workshop facilitators
- Curriculum development for business skills training
- Program operations and client outreach
- Train-the-trainer programs in partnership with Bay Path University and Mel King Institute
- Access to capital facilitation services (loan readiness coaching, referrals to CDFIs)
Ineligible expenses
- Direct grants or loans to small businesses (intermediary-only program)
- Capital expenditures for the intermediary organization
- Lobbying or political activities
- Services to businesses with over 20 employees or over $2.5M revenue
How to apply
-
1
Monitor RFP release
MassDevelopment releases the annual SBTA Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) in early September via massdevelopment.com and Submittable. Subscribe to MassDevelopment newsletter to be alerted.
~1 hrs
-
2
Review RFP and assess eligibility
Read the full RFP (typically 15-20 pages). Confirm your organization type qualifies (CDC, CDFI, or eligible nonprofit). Review scoring criteria and priority populations.
~3 hrs
-
3
Prepare organization documents
Gather IRS determination letter, Chapter 40H or CDFI certification (if applicable), most recent audited financials, board list, and prior-year program metrics (clients served, financing accessed).
~4 hrs
-
4
Draft and submit application on Submittable
Complete application narrative: program description, target population, metrics, budget, and organizational capacity. Upload all required documents. Submit before the October deadline (typically ~5 weeks after RFP release).
~10 hrs
-
5
Award and contracting
MassDevelopment reviews applications and issues awards winter/spring. Grantees execute a grant agreement and begin delivering TA services. Quarterly reporting required.
~3 hrs
MassDevelopment awards 70-80+ orgs annually — not a winner-take-all competition. Orgs with clear metrics (clients served, jobs retained, capital accessed) and underserved-market focus score highest.
Deadline & timing
RFP releases in early September each year via Submittable; applications due in early October. Awards announced winter/spring. FY26 cycle is closed; FY27 RFP expected September 2026.
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