Program
Starting a business
Salespeople, independent workers, and entrepreneurs at any stage.
Salespeople and independent workers often have the skill — and want the capital to act on it. IDA reviews one-time grants to open, equip, or expand a business. Describe the work and what the funds would cover (equipment, a vehicle, inventory, licensing, a lease).
If you are selected, you do not repay the award. Applying does not guarantee funds. Write plainly. Completeness matters more than perfect wording.
Letters in this category
Nadia Cole · $44,000
“I was tired of selling someone else’s product under someone else’s name.”
Frank Delaney · $55,000
“Thirty years of selling, and I still needed someone to believe the next door could have my name on it.”
Victoria Chen · $118,000
“I had the clients and the plan. I did not want a loan on top of a career I had already built.”