| State economic development agency | Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) |
| State SBIR/STTR phase-zero match | Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund (21 Fund) |
| Formal small-business set-aside program | Federal-only |
| 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.
The state primarily relies on federal small-business certifications (SBA 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB/EDWOSB, SDVOSB/VOSB) for set-aside eligibility. State agency procurement may apply these certifications where federal funds pass through, but no state-administered formal small-business set-aside program operates beyond the standard MBE/WBE/DBE registries.
The 21 Fund supports applied research, technology commercialization, and SBIR/STTR-aligned innovation activity at Indiana companies and universities. Program lines have included direct SBIR Phase 0 and Phase I match grants; verify current line availability with IEDC before assuming continued availability.
Match amount: Multi-year competitive grants (cycle and program-line dependent)
Program page: Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund (21 Fund)
Indiana state-administered grant programs typically use program-specific application portals on individual agency sites rather than a single statewide grants portal. Federal pass-through funds (HUD CDBG, EDA, USDA Rural Development) route through Grants.gov for the federal half, then through the state sub-recipient process. Always confirm the application URL on the agency page for the specific program before drafting.
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 flowing through regional EDA offices; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees and Rural Business Development Grants for rural-county operations; and SBA programs (7(a), 504, Microloan, CDFI) accessed via local 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 grants flow through 26 federal agencies via Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Finder to filter federal grants by entity type, sector, and award size, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
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 state innovation match programs (if available) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Indiana programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Indiana operates Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund (21 Fund), which provides Multi-year competitive grants (cycle and program-line dependent) to small businesses receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards. See the SBIR/STTR match section above for eligibility, application timing, and program contact.
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.
Indiana uses Grants.gov + program-specific portals. See the application portal section above for the portal URL and pattern. Most state-administered programs require pre-registration with a state vendor identification number before an application can be submitted.