Refugee Microenterprise Development (MED) Program
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
Microloans up to $15,000
Microloans for refugee founders
The Refugee Microenterprise Development (MED) Program promotes the economic self-sufficiency of ORR-eligible populations (refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian-status immigrants) by funding nonprofit and other eligible organizations to provide microloans, business training, and technical assistance so participants can start, sustain, or expand a small business (a microenterprise of 10 or fewer employees). ORR awards competitive grants (historically multi-year project periods) to grantee organizations, which in turn deliver small-business microloans up to $15,000 — plus credit-building loans up to $1,500 — to eligible refugee entrepreneurs who typically lack the credit history or assets to qualify with commercial lenders, alongside one-on-one and group training on bookkeeping, licensing, marketing, and credit. A refugee entrepreneur accesses the loan through a local ORR-funded grantee organization rather than applying to ORR directly.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $1,500 – $15,000
- Realistic amount
- A typical refugee entrepreneur receives a microloan in the low thousands up to the $15,000 c…
- Deadline
- Rolling for entrepreneurs (via local grantees); periodic NOFO cycles for organizations
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- ORR-eligible population — refugees, asylees, and other ORR-eligible humanitarian immigrants (eligibility runs through ORR criteria, not citizenship; non-citizens may qualify)
- Must be a non-citizen AND have been in the U.S. for no more than five (5) years at the time of enrollment (ORR enrollment cap)
- Starting, operating, or expanding a microenterprise (10 or fewer employees)
- Typically lacks the credit history, collateral, or assets to qualify with commercial lenders
- Applies through a local ORR-funded grantee organization, not directly to ORR
- Specific income/asset criteria and required financial-education completion are set by the local grantee
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Business start-up and working-capital costs
- Equipment, inventory, and supplies
- Licensing and business setup costs
- Other legitimate microenterprise expenses per the grantee's loan terms
Ineligible expenses
- Personal/non-business expenses
- Uses outside the grantee organization's loan-fund guidelines
How to apply
-
1
Confirm ORR eligibility and find a local grantee
Verify you are an ORR-eligible person (refugee/asylee/eligible humanitarian status) and locate a nearby ORR-funded microenterprise development organization (often a refugee-serving nonprofit or CDFI).
~1 hrs
-
2
Complete required training and apply for the microloan
Enroll in the grantee's business training/financial-education and submit a microloan application. Loans up to $15,000 (and credit-building loans up to $1,500) are underwritten by the grantee's revolving loan fund, with flexible criteria for thin-file borrowers.
~8 hrs
-
3
Receive funds and ongoing technical assistance
On approval, receive the microloan and continue with post-loan technical assistance (bookkeeping, licensing, marketing) provided by the grantee.
~2 hrs
Your real gatekeeper is the local grantee, not ORR — and which organizations are funded changes by NOFO cycle and region. Call your state refugee coordinator or a local refugee-serving nonprofit/CDFI first to find the currently funded MED provider near you; completing their financial-education course up front markedly improves approval odds for thin-credit borrowers.
Deadline & timing
Refugee entrepreneurs apply through a local ORR-funded grantee organization on that organization's schedule. The federal grants to organizations are awarded through periodic ACF/ORR Notices of Funding Opportunity on grants.gov.
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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.