| State economic development agency | Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) |
| 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 | 1 programs |
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) is the state's lead economic-development organization, structured as a public-private partnership. Major programs include the EDGE (Economic Development for a Growing Economy) Tax Credit, the Hoosier Business Investment (HBI) Tax Credit, the Skills Enhancement Fund (SEF) training grants, and the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. The 21 Fund is one of the more active state-level innovation grant programs.
Primary site: Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)
State training grant reimbursing up to half of eligible training costs for net new hires and incumbent workers at Indiana employers. Awarded as part of broader IEDC project package, not standalone application.
Indiana 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.
Indiana supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the Indiana SBIR/STTR Matching Grants (IEDC with Elevate Ventures). 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: $0.50 per federal $1: Phase I up to $50,000, Phase II up to $75,000, $150,000 lifetime cap
Program page: Indiana SBIR/STTR Matching Grants (IEDC with Elevate Ventures)
IEDC PIMS handles applications for many Indiana state programs. Some programs still use their own application pages, so confirm the link on each program page before drafting.
Portal: IEDC PIMS
Federal grants reach businesses in Indiana through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) 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: Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) (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 Indiana section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for Indiana.
Indiana'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 Indiana's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Indiana programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Indiana supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the Indiana SBIR/STTR Matching Grants (IEDC with Elevate Ventures): $0.50 per federal $1: Phase I up to $50,000, Phase II up to $75,000, $150,000 lifetime cap. See the program page for current rounds.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Indiana's state agency (Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) (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.
IEDC PIMS handles applications for many state programs. Some programs still use their own pages, so confirm the link on each program page.