| State economic development agency | Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) |
| 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 | 2 programs |
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) is the state's lead economic-development agency. Major programs include the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI), the Vermont Training Program (VTP), the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), and the ThinkVermont Innovation Grant.
Primary site: Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)
Performance-based cash incentive paid over multiple years based on incremental state tax revenue generated by qualifying new jobs and payroll. Vermont's primary jobs incentive.
State training-cost reimbursement for Vermont employers, with sector-targeted prioritization (manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, agriculture).
Vermont 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.
Vermont supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the Elevate Vermont SBIR/STTR Matching Grant (ACCD). 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 $50,000, first-come first-served, lifetime cap of 5 grants
Program page: Elevate Vermont SBIR/STTR Matching Grant (ACCD)
Check the administering agency's page for each program's application link; we have not confirmed whether Vermont uses a single statewide grants system.
Portal: See each program page
Federal grants reach businesses in Vermont through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) 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: Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) (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 Vermont section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for Vermont.
Vermont'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 Vermont's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Vermont programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Vermont supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the Elevate Vermont SBIR/STTR Matching Grant (ACCD): up to $50,000, first-come first-served, lifetime cap of 5 grants. See the program page for current rounds.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Vermont's state agency (Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) (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 Vermont uses a single statewide grants system.