Small Business Grants in Florida
Florida's small business grants pay you back. They do not pay you first, so you spend, prove it, then claim up to 75 percent of your training costs.
Which Florida grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 11 programs on this page into likely fits and long shots. Nothing personal is asked or stored, and final eligibility is always decided by the granting agency.
Florida Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Florida small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
CareerSource Florida Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) Grant
CareerSource Florida
50% of training costs back, up to 75% for small firms
RollingThis one trains the staff you have. Most firms get back 50 percent of approved training costs. You get up to 75 percent if you have 25 or fewer workers. The same rate applies in a rural county, a distressed area, a brownfield or a HUB zone.
Apply / Learn MoreSelectFlorida Trade Grants
SelectFlorida Inc.
$4,500 toward an export plan, event awards vary
Rolling, July to June cycleSelectFlorida pays part of the cost of selling abroad. Take the Export Marketing Plan. You pay $500 and the state pays the Florida SBDC $4,500. Trade show awards are set per event. They go first come, first served.
Apply / Learn MoreFlorida Job Growth Grant Fund
FloridaCommerce
Varies by project
RollingThis is the state's biggest economic development pot. It funds public roads, water, sewer and job training. Section 288.101 limits it to public projects and to training at state colleges. Your business cannot apply.
Apply / Learn MoreQuick Response Training (QRT) Grant
CareerSource Florida
Varies, $7.5M in the 2025-2026 pot
RollingThis grant trains new hires, not old ones. It is open to new or growing Florida firms in target industries. You pick who does the training. That can be a school, a private trainer or your own expert.
Apply / Learn MoreFlorida High Tech Corridor Matching Grants Research Program (MGRP)
Florida High Tech Corridor
Up to $150,000, paid to the university
RollingThe Corridor matches what you put into research at UCF or USF. The money goes to the university. A faculty member files it, not you. Your firm needs a real presence in the 23-county region, and students have to take part.
Florida SBDC STEP Grant Program
Florida SBDC Network
Up to $8,000 per two year period, or $15,000 including an Export Marketing Plan
Open year round, applied for through an SBDC consultantThe Florida SBDC runs the SBA's export program here. It refunds up to $2,500 on trade show travel. Web site translation is capped at $2,100, and other translation at $500. Finish an export plan first.
Apply / Learn MoreState Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) 2.0
FloridaCommerce / Florida Opportunity Fund
Loans and equity, not grants
RollingThis is capital, not free money. Florida got $488 million from the U.S. Treasury. It lends and invests that through banks, CDFIs and the Florida Opportunity Fund. Some is set aside for owners the state calls disadvantaged.
Apply / Learn MoreFederal Grant Programs
These federal programs are available to small businesses in every state.
SBA 7(a) Loan Program
The SBA's primary lending program guarantees loans through participating lenders. This is a loan, not a grant. But the terms favor small businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing.
Learn moreSBA Microloan Program
Loans up to $50,000, not grants. You borrow from a nonprofit lender near you, not from the SBA itself. The money can cover working capital, inventory, supplies or equipment. Most people get far less than the cap. The average microloan is about $13,000.
Learn moreSBIR/STTR Grants
Competitive federal grants for small businesses doing research and development with commercial potential. Eleven federal agencies take part. Phase I funds proof of concept. Phase II funds full development.
Learn moreMinority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Programs
Help for minority owned businesses that need capital, contracts or new markets. MBDA runs business centers around the country. They give advice, help with bids, and point you toward lenders.
Learn moreGet Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most Florida grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Florida grant programs require applicants to be a registered LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. If you haven't formed yet, that's the first step.
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, and more.
Get your EIN
An Employer Identification Number is free from the IRS and required on nearly every grant application. You can apply online and receive it immediately.
Open a business bank account
Grant funds need to go into a dedicated business account, not your personal checking. Most agencies will ask for your banking details on the application.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Grants by Business Type
Targeted programs for specific business owners in Florida.
Rural Business Grants
Rural counties get priority, not a grant. CareerSource lifts the training refund to 75 percent for a firm in a rural county. The same goes for a distressed area, a brownfield or a HUB zone. SelectFlorida adds a top-up on some trade events. The Rural Infrastructure Fund gets called a rural business grant, but only local governments may apply.
- ›CareerSource Florida
- ›SelectFlorida Trade Grants
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
The Corridor's matching grant pays up to $150,000. It pays the university. A UCF or USF faculty member files the proposal, your firm puts up the match, and students work on the project. You need a presence in the 23-county region.
- ›Florida High Tech Corridor Matching Grants Research Program
Women-owned Business Grants
Florida runs no women-only grant. The training and export grants above are open to you on the same terms as anyone else. The Florida SBDC gives free advice to any owner. Certification helps most with public contracts, not with these grants.
- ›Florida SBDC Network
Minority-owned Business Grants
SSBCI 2.0 sets aside capital for owners the state calls disadvantaged. That is a loan or an equity stake. It is not a grant. Federal MBDA centers give advice and referrals, but MBDA's own grant rounds go to groups, not to one firm.
- ›SSBCI 2.0
- ›MBDA Programs
Veteran-owned Business Grants
SelectFlorida says veteran-owned firms may get a top-up on trade event grants. That is the only edge named. Past that, you apply on the same terms as anyone else. Training grants and free SBDC advice are open to you.
- ›SelectFlorida Trade Grants
- ›CareerSource Florida
Tips for Applying in Florida
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Register as an active entity with the Florida Division of Corporations at Sunbiz.org. Every state program checks it.
- 2Get a Tax Clearance Letter from the Florida Department of Revenue first. CareerSource requires it. It takes time.
- 3Apply to Quick Response Training early. The state put in $7.5 million for 2025-2026, and first-time applicants get priority.
- 4Check the SelectFlorida bar before you plan a trip. You need two years in Florida, $250,000 in sales and three full-time staff.
- 5Call your city and county economic development office. Local cash grants live there, and they never show up on the state site.
- 6Book free help at your local Florida SBDC. They write these forms every week. They charge nothing.
State Economic Development Agency
FloridaCommerce (Florida Department of Commerce)
FloridaCommerce promotes economic opportunities for Floridians by administering workforce development, community development, and economic incentive programs for small businesses statewide.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Florida can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, and most programs expect one. CareerSource asks for a for-profit Florida firm in good standing. SelectFlorida wants an active Sunbiz listing, two years of trading and three full-time staff. A sole proprietor can win some of these. But the forms all assume you have a registered entity behind you.
No. Florida runs no startup grant. Quick Response Training comes closest, and it still needs a real firm hiring real staff. CareerSource wants payroll. SelectFlorida wants two years of sales. Form the entity and get your EIN first. Come back when you have people to train and a year of trading.
Incumbent Worker Training. It takes forms all year and CareerSource says approval is quick. The catch is when the cash lands. You get the training approved, pay the trainer, then claim 50 to 75 percent back. Budget the full cost up front. Treat the grant as a refund, not as funding.
Not directly. Section 288.101 limits it to public projects and to training at state colleges. The Rural Infrastructure Fund works the same way. Its applicants are local governments in rural counties. Both get listed as Florida small business grants on other sites. Neither one is a grant your firm can win.
No. The training and export grants ask nothing about who owns the firm. Certification counts for more in public contracting. SSBCI 2.0 does set aside capital for owners the state calls disadvantaged. SelectFlorida adds a top-up for veteran-owned firms and for firms in rural counties.
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Grant programs change frequently. Deadlines, eligibility requirements, and funding amounts listed here may be outdated. Always verify information directly with the granting agency before applying. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.
Questions about Florida small business grants
2 comments
Marcy
September 2, 2026
There are two training grants on this page and I cannot tell them apart. Which one fits a shop that is about to take on three people?
Richard MooreGeekdiys team
Senior Finance & Banking Editor · September 3, 2026
New people and existing people, that is the split. The quick response programme is the one for hiring, it is built around training new staff and there is a defined pot for the year with first time applicants given priority, so apply early rather than when the course is booked. The incumbent worker programme is for people already on your payroll and it works as a refund, you get the training approved, pay for it, then claim back half, or up to three quarters if you are a small firm in a rural or distressed county. For three new hires the quick response route is the one to start with, and your local workforce board is who you talk to first, not the state.
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