Louisiana small business grants, loans and training funds (2026)

What each Louisiana program actually pays

Sort a program by who receives the money before you spend time applying:

• Your lender or investor gets the state’s support. The Loan Guaranty, Collateral Support and Micro Lending programs back a loan you repay. The Seed Capital Program and Louisiana Growth Fund buy a stake in your company ⁠⁵⁠⁹⁠¹⁰.
• You get reimbursed after you pay. SBET repays training tuition and textbooks ⁠¹¹. STEP repays 90% of approved export costs ⁠¹⁴.
• You get a grant only after winning a federal award. The Innovation Retention Grant is limited to firms holding an SBIR or STTR award, and it is not taking applications now ⁠¹²⁠¹³.
• You get free help. The LSBDC and LED’s SEBD program advise and train at no charge ⁠²⁠¹⁵.

How Louisiana’s $113 million SSBCI share reaches a borrower

Treasury allocated Louisiana $113,071,405 under SSBCI. Louisiana signed its allocation agreement on December 19, 2022. Through December 31, 2025, Treasury had disbursed $72,467,363 to the state, and $33,302,434 had been deployed to small businesses. That is 29.5% of the total allocation ⁠³. The Louisiana Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is the legal party on every deal, and LED staff administer the programs ⁠⁶. Each program lists its own participating lenders or funds, and the business applies through them rather than to LED ⁠⁵⁠⁸⁠⁹.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Sources: ⁠⁴⁠⁵⁠⁶⁠⁷⁠⁸.

Loan Guaranty details. The amended rule caps any loan in the program at $5 million and any total credit at $20 million. It also bars enrolling SBA-guaranteed loans ⁠⁶. Loans under $100,000 must create or retain at least one full-time job, and larger loans at least two. The lender keeps at least 20% of the loss risk. Collateral must be worth at least the guaranteed portion, though certified small and emerging businesses may pledge collateral worth as little as 80% ⁠⁶. Your primary residence and personal items do not count as collateral. LEDC’s guarantee lasts up to 3 years on revolving lines of credit, 5 years on equipment loans and 7 years on real estate loans. LEDC may charge a guaranty fee of up to 2% of the guaranteed amount. The fee is waived for businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI) and for certified small and emerging businesses (SEB) ⁠⁶. Loan proceeds can pay for start-up costs, working capital, franchise fees, equipment, inventory and an owner-occupied place of business. They cannot refinance the same lender’s earlier loan ⁠⁶.

Collateral Support suits a borrower whose cash flow works but whose collateral falls short. LEDC opens an interest-bearing deposit account in its own name at your lender. The deposit covers only unpaid principal, not interest or collection costs, and returns to LEDC as the loan is repaid ⁠⁷. Lender fees on this program are capped at $500 for loans under $25,000 and 2% above that ⁠⁷.

Micro Lending goes through five participating lenders: Carter Credit Union (statewide), Essential Credit Union (East Baton Rouge area), JEDCO (Jefferson Parish only), NewCorp, Inc. (New Orleans area, statewide secondary) and TruFund (statewide). Each lender does its own underwriting, then sends the package to LED for committee review ⁠⁸.

Equity, not grants: Seed Capital and the Louisiana Growth Fund

If you are trying to raise investor money for a startup, the state’s SSBCI equity programs put money in alongside private investors. They take ownership in return. Eight funds participate in the Louisiana Seed Capital Program: Boot64 Ventures, Innovation Catalyst / Greaux Innovative Ventures, New Orleans Startup Fund, Ochsner Ventures, Propeller, The Idea Village, Tulane Innovation Institute and 1834 Ventures. Each sets its own application process ⁠⁹. The Louisiana Growth Fund is the direct-investment arm of the program and is managed by Yellow Ventures. It invests $250,000 to $1 million per company through convertible notes or priced equity. It does not accept SAFEs ⁠¹⁰. To qualify, a company must be a Louisiana-based C-corporation (or convert to one) at seed to Series A stage with revenue and a scalable model. It must also raise matching private capital 1:1 within 90 days. Lifestyle businesses are excluded. The fund was accepting applications on October 20, 2026, and estimates about three weeks for a first response and four to six weeks of diligence ⁠¹⁰.

SBET: LWC’s training reimbursement for firms with 50 or fewer employees

The Small Business Employee Training Program (SBET) is the closest thing Louisiana has to a grant that any established small employer can use. It is set out in the Louisiana Administrative Code, which still names the Department of Labor, now the Louisiana Workforce Commission ⁠¹¹. A business with 50 or fewer employees that is current on state unemployment insurance taxes can be reimbursed for tuition and required textbooks. The cap is $3,000 per trainee per state fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) ⁠¹¹. Trainees must be existing employees on whom the business pays state UI tax. Approved training includes:

• classes at Board of Regents institutions;
• manufacturer training within one year of buying equipment that costs more than $3,000;
• computer skills upgrades;
• courses from trade associations with a five-year record of success.

The training provider must be domiciled in Louisiana ⁠¹¹.

The timing rule is strict. You must submit the SBET application and receive written approval before any training starts. Within 30 days after the training ends, you send invoices, proof of payment, completion certificates and wage records ⁠¹¹.

Exporters and SBIR winners: the two LED grants

STEP. LED’s State Trade Expansion Program reimburses 90% of eligible expenses, up to $10,000 per company. Eligible costs include trade show booth fees, trade missions, export training, U.S. Commercial Service fees, airfare, lodging and meals, international marketing materials and websites, compliance testing and export credit insurance ⁠¹⁴. Applicants must:

• meet the SBA small business size standard;
• be a for-profit Louisiana business that has operated for at least one year;
• export goods or services with at least 51% U.S. content;
• have an export strategy.

You apply in LED’s FastLane system before you spend anything. Approval does not guarantee payment: you must file a results form after each activity ⁠¹⁴. LED’s page does not publish a deadline or the current federal award amount, so confirm that funds remain before you book travel.

Innovation Retention Grant (IRG). Under R.S. 51:2401, a Louisiana-headquartered, privately owned firm with a federal SBIR or STTR award can receive 25% of a Phase I award (up to $50,000) or 20% of a Phase II award (up to $100,000). The grant is paid in two equal amounts over two consecutive years ⁠¹². The law authorizes up to $500,000 a year for each phase ⁠¹². The program is currently closed. LED’s FAQ says the last application period ended June 30, 2024, and future periods will be announced only when the Legislature authorizes funds ⁠¹³. Technology firms should still apply for federal SBIR/STTR awards, since IRG eligibility depends on one.

Free help from the LSBDC and LED’s SEBD certification

The Louisiana Small Business Development Center network has been hosted by LSU since January 2022, with its state office at LSU Innovation Park in Baton Rouge. It has 10 university-based regional centers, each covering a set of parishes, and gives no-cost business advising and technical assistance ⁠¹⁵. LED’s SEBD certification is also free. To qualify, owners must have lived in Louisiana for at least one year, and 51% of the business must be owned by people whose individual net worth is under $400,000. That figure excludes the home, business assets and retirement accounts. The business’s net worth must not exceed $1.5 million ⁠². Certification brings roundtables and one-on-one expert help through SEBD intermediaries. It also waives the SSBCI guaranty fee ⁠²⁠⁶.

Applying for Louisiana help, step by step

1. Start with your regional LSBDC center

   Bring your business plan, financial statements or projections and the amount you need. An adviser can tell you whether a guaranteed loan, a micro loan or an equity fund fits ⁠¹⁵.

2. Get SEBD certification if you qualify

   Apply online through LED. SEB status makes you eligible for SEBD training and waives the Loan Guaranty fee ⁠²⁠⁶.

3. Choose an SSBCI lender or fund from the state’s lists

   For the Loan Guaranty, the listed lenders include Bank of St. Francisville, Bonvenu Bank, Caldwell Bank, Citizens Bank & Trust of Vivian, Citizens Progressive Bank, Evangeline Bank & Trust, First Guaranty Bank and NewCorp Inc. ⁠⁵. The lender submits the application to LEDC, and LEDC sends its commitment letter to the lender ⁠⁶.

4. Expect committee review

   LEDC staff or a board committee approves or denies each enrollment. You or your loan officer may be asked to attend the LEDC board meeting ⁠⁶.

5. File SBET before you enroll anyone in a class

   Have your employee count, each trainee’s UI wage records and the provider’s course and cost ready. Do not let training begin until LWC’s written approval arrives ⁠¹¹.

6. For exports, apply in FastLane before the event

   Then file the STEP results form after each activity to get reimbursed ⁠¹⁴.

7. If a lender says no, try another participating lender

   A denial is a credit decision, so a different listed lender or a CDFI micro lender may decide differently. Email [email protected] to ask which lenders are active in your parish ⁠⁸.

Compare Louisiana with other states on the small business grants hub.