NDN Fund — Indigenous Business & Enterprise Loans
NDN Fund (lending subsidiary of NDN Collective)
$10K-$10M+
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 6 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Capital for Indigenous enterprise
NDN Fund is the lending and investment arm of NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led organization based in Rapid City, South Dakota. Established in 2018, it provides debt capital to Indigenous-led and Indigenous-owned businesses, Tribal Nations, Tribal Enterprises, and Tribal Economic Development Corporations across all of Indian Country — tribally-based, rural, and urban — throughout the United States. Financing spans two loan pools: the Relief & Resilience pool (small business loans under $500,000, including pre-development, bridge, and operating loans for local retailers, service providers, and entrepreneurs) and the SEEDING pool (Social Enterprise & Economic Development for Indigenous Growth) for large-scale projects over $500,000 in renewable energy, housing, sustainable infrastructure, social enterprise, and regenerative agriculture. Loan products range from DIRECT ($10K-$50K) through ENTERPRISE ($250K-$500K) up to CAPITAL ($500K-$10M+), generally secured, with terms up to 5 years. NDN Fund pairs capital with technical assistance and capacity-building rather than lending on conventional bank terms alone.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $10,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Individual Indigenous small businesses and entrepreneurs most often borrow through the DIRECT ($10K-$50K) and PRE-DEVELOPMENT ($50K-$200K) products or the Relief & Resilience pool (under $500K).
- Deadline
- Rolling — inquiries and applications accepted year-round.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- Indigenous-led and Indigenous-owned businesses and development projects
- Tribal Nations, Tribal Enterprises, and Tribal Economic Development Corporations
- Located anywhere in Indian Country — tribally-based, rural, or urban — across the United States
- Project/business must fit one of the loan products and pools (small business under $500K via Relief & Resilience; larger projects via SEEDING)
- Demonstrated repayment plan; loans are primarily secured
- Willingness to engage NDN Fund's technical assistance and capacity-building support
Hard requirements
- Reserved for minority owned businesses
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and operating costs
- Pre-development and bridge financing
- Equipment and inventory
- Real estate, construction, and facilities
- Renewable energy, housing, and infrastructure project costs (SEEDING)
- Social enterprise and regenerative agriculture development
Ineligible expenses
- Non-Indigenous-led ventures
- Personal expenses unrelated to the business or project
- Uses inconsistent with NDN Collective's mission
How to apply
-
1
Submit a loan inquiry
Contact NDN Fund through the lending page to describe your business or project, the amount sought, and the use of funds. NDN staff help identify the right product and pool.
~3 hrs
-
2
Application and documentation
Provide business plan or project plan, financials/projections, ownership and Indigenous-led/owned verification, and collateral information. Larger SEEDING deals require more extensive project documentation.
~14 hrs
-
3
Underwriting, technical assistance, and structuring
NDN Fund underwrites the request and works with the borrower on capacity-building and deal structuring. This collaborative step distinguishes NDN from a conventional lender.
~6 hrs
-
4
Approval, closing, and disbursement
On approval, execute loan documents and close. Disbursement follows the loan agreement (lump sum, draws for development/construction, or staged).
~3 hrs
Lead with the technical-assistance angle: NDN Fund deliberately lends where capacity-building is needed and removes barriers conventional lenders impose, so a less-polished but mission-aligned Indigenous business can still be a fit. Match your ask to the right product tier (DIRECT vs PRE-DEVELOPMENT vs ENTERPRISE) before applying — proposing the wrong tier slows the review.
Deadline & timing
No fixed deadline; NDN Fund reviews loan inquiries on an ongoing basis. Larger SEEDING/CAPITAL deals involve a longer due-diligence and structuring process than small Relief & Resilience loans.
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