| State economic development agency | Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) + MassDevelopment |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | State program (see below) |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | Not confirmed |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 2 programs |
Massachusetts' lead economic-development functions are split between the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) within the Executive Office of Economic Development and the quasi-public MassDevelopment finance and development authority. Strategic grant programs flow through Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) for small-business grants and loans, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) for biotech, and MassTech for innovation programs.
Primary site: Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) + MassDevelopment
The SBTA grant program funds Massachusetts community-based organizations that deliver no-cost technical assistance, training, and capital-access support to underserved Massachusetts small businesses. Businesses receive services at no cost from grantee organizations.
State training-cost reimbursement for Massachusetts employers (both new and incumbent worker training). Two tracks: General Program for larger customized projects; Express Program for off-the-shelf training from approved vendors.
We could not confirm whether Massachusetts runs its own small-business or supplier-diversity certification for state contracts. Check the state procurement office; federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) apply to federal contracts.
Massachusetts supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the MassVentures SBIR Targeted Technologies (START) grants. 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: staged grants of $100,000, $200,000 and up to $500,000 for Phase II awardees; next window opens February 1, 2027
Program page: MassVentures SBIR Targeted Technologies (START) grants
Check the administering agency's page for each program's application link; we have not confirmed whether Massachusetts uses a single statewide grants system.
Portal: See each program page
Federal grants reach businesses in Massachusetts through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) + MassDevelopment 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: Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) + MassDevelopment (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.
Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Massachusetts programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Massachusetts supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the MassVentures SBIR Targeted Technologies (START) grants: staged grants of $100,000, $200,000 and up to $500,000 for Phase II awardees; next window opens February 1, 2027. See the program page for current rounds.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Massachusetts's state agency (Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) + MassDevelopment (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 Massachusetts uses a single statewide grants system.