Business Assistance

Enterprise Zone Tax Credits
Region 10 is designated as the administrator of the Region 10 Rural Enterprise Zone program.  The program involves three areas of assistance designed to promote business development in the Region. The three programs are: enterprise zone tax credits and incentives for business; enterprise zone contribution tax credit for individuals; and enterprise zone marketing.

Revolving Loan Fund
The purpose of the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program is to provide financing to new and existing businesses in the Region 10 service area. Targeted purposes for RLF funds include “gap financing” for situations where banks are not able or willing to finance startup or other specific projects, job creation/retention, microenterprise development, and energy-saving rehabilitation projects.

Small Business Development Center
The Small Business Development Center provides free one-on-one counseling services in the areas of business research and marketing, new business feasibility analysis, business plans preparation, finance packaging and other small business topics. Workshops and seminars for business owners are held weekly. Your local office specializes in manufacturing and system designs for manufactures and home-based business plus technology resources. The SBDC receives input from the SBDC State Advisory Board.  970-240-1109.

Colorado Lending Source
Colorado Lending Source is a private, community-based, nonprofit economic development corporation that assists small business owners in Colorado access attractive, long-term, fixed-rate financing on (primarily) owner-occupied commercial real estate and capital equipment acquisition projects. There are three different sorts of loan programs that you can access through Colorado Lending Source. The SBA 504 loan program:  Usually the BEST financing option around for owners who are buying, improving or constructing facilities primarily occupied by their small businesses. The CRF loan program: This non-SBA program might be a good option on projects normally ineligible for the SBA 504 loan program (such as projects involving refinancing), or where more flexibility is needed by a small business owner. The NMTC loan program: Another non-SBA program, New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing might be a good option for projects located in an eligible lower-income census tract.

Certified Capital Companies Program
The CAPCO Program was created by the Colorado Legislature with the goal of making venture capital funds available to new or expanding small businesses throughout Colorado.

The Colorado First and Existing Industry grants are jointly administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OED&IT) and the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). Colorado First grants are for companies that are relocating to Colorado or existing companies that are undertaking a major expansion. Existing Industry grants are designed for Colorado companies that are implementing new technology to remain competitive and keep jobs in Colorado. Approved training is for transferable job skills that support both the company's economic competitiveness by re-training its workers in new sills, while enhancing the workers' resumes and long-term employment opportunities.

Colorado Housing and Financing Authority CHFA's Business Finance Division provides a wide variety of programs, including loan programs specific to businesses located in rural communities, women- and minority-owned businesses, manufacturers in the state, and nonprofit organizations committed to better serving the needs of Colorado citizens.  The Business Finance Division's niche in the marketplace is providing long-term, fixed-rate financing in all regions of the state, including businesses in under-served communities that have had difficulty obtaining financing from conventional sources.

Colorado Business Resource Guide
The Colorado Business Resource Guide was created to provide general information to assist in the starting up and operation of small business, whether it is a new startup or an established business. This is one of the most successful and comprehensive business start-up guides in the nation. It was designed to save valuable research time by providing a collection of most of the tools and references needed to successfully get your business started in Colorado.

Other Resources
Here you will find many online documents and web sites providing additional information on business financing, tax credits, and more.


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