| State economic development agency | North Dakota Department of Commerce |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | None found |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | None found |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 2 programs |
The North Dakota Department of Commerce is the state's lead economic-development agency. Major programs include the Operation Intern reimbursement, the New Jobs Training Program, the LIFT (Legacy Infrastructure Fund) grants, statutory tax credits, and the Innovate ND program for early-stage technology businesses.
Primary site: North Dakota Department of Commerce
Tiered voucher program for ND early-stage technology companies, providing access to startup services (legal, accounting, market research, IP) through approved service-provider network.
Allows ND employers to retain a portion of state withholding tax on net new hires to fund training costs. Administered jointly with NDDPI.
We found no state small-business set-aside or MBE/WBE certification program for North Dakota state contracts (preference laws cover resident tie-breaks and products only). Federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) still apply to federal contracts.
We found no state-funded SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant in North Dakota when we checked in September 2026 (UND Center for Innovation offers in-kind help only). Small businesses apply directly to the federal agencies listed at SBIR.gov; the state's Small Business Development Center can help with proposals.
North Dakota programs take applications one by one on the administering agency's site; there is no single statewide grants application system. Confirm the application link on each program page before drafting.
Portal: Program-by-program applications
Federal grants reach businesses in North Dakota through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by North Dakota Department of Commerce 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: North Dakota Department of Commerce (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 North Dakota section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for North Dakota.
North Dakota'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 any state or local innovation programs and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named North Dakota programs and their eligibility thresholds.
We found no state-funded SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant in North Dakota as of September 2026. Small businesses apply directly to the federal agencies listed at SBIR.gov.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to North Dakota's state agency (North Dakota Department of Commerce (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.
There is no single statewide grants application system; North Dakota programs take applications on the administering agency's site. Confirm the link on each program page.