| State economic development agency | Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | State program (see below) |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | State program (see below) |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | Pending research |
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) administers the state's lead incentive portfolio: the Advantage Arkansas income-tax credit, the InvestArk sales/use-tax credit, and the Create Rebate payroll rebate. AEDC also operates the Division of Science and Technology, which historically ran the Arkansas SBIR/STTR support program through the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA, now consolidated). Direct grant dollars are concentrated in technology commercialization and rural development pass-throughs.
Primary site: Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC)
No statewide signature small-business grant programs cataloged for Arkansas at this revision. Federal-side options through the SBA, Grants.gov, and USDA Rural Development remain available; see the federal pass-through section below.
Arkansas runs its own certification or preference program for state contracting. Certification can open state set-asides, participation goals or preferences; federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) cover federal contracts.
Arkansas supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the AEDC Division of Science & Technology SBIR Matching Grant. Check the program page for current rounds and eligibility; the federal award itself is still applied for through the agencies listed at SBIR.gov.
Match amount: up to 50% of the federal award, capped at $50,000 for Phase I and $100,000 for Phase II (reimbursement)
Program page: AEDC Division of Science & Technology SBIR Matching Grant
Check the administering agency's page for each program's application link; we have not confirmed whether Arkansas uses a single statewide grants system.
Portal: See each program page
Federal grants reach businesses in Arkansas through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) that sub-grant to localities for economic development; EDA public-works and economic-adjustment grants, awarded through regional EDA offices to local governments, economic development districts and nonprofits; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees for rural businesses, plus Rural Business Development Grants that go to towns, tribes and nonprofits (not to businesses directly) to support local small businesses; and SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, Microloan) accessed via local lenders, alongside Treasury-certified CDFI lenders. Business eligibility for each channel depends on entity size, location (rural vs urban), and use-of-funds.
CDBG state administrator: Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) (CDBG-state administrator)
EDA regional contact: US EDA regional office
State programs cover one half of the picture. Federal grant opportunities are listed on Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Map to search open federal opportunities by keyword, category and agency, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Need help beyond business grants? The Arkansas section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for Arkansas.
Arkansas's economic development agency administers several grant and incentive programs for businesses, but most flagship programs require either an existing operation, a defined hiring commitment, or capital investment milestones. Pure pre-revenue startups should usually pair federal SBIR/STTR (where R&D-eligible) with Arkansas's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Arkansas programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Arkansas supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the AEDC Division of Science & Technology SBIR Matching Grant: up to 50% of the federal award, capped at $50,000 for Phase I and $100,000 for Phase II (reimbursement). See the program page for current rounds.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Arkansas's state agency (Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) (CDBG-state administrator)), which sub-grants to localities. Businesses do not apply directly to the state for CDBG dollars; they apply to participating cities or counties for economic development sub-awards (job creation, blight remediation, low-to-moderate-income workforce). Contact your local economic development office for current sub-awards.
Check the administering agency's page for each program; we have not confirmed whether Arkansas uses a single statewide grants system.