Ohio Business Resources Connection

Starting and Growing Your Business

Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)

The SBDC provides free business counseling to individuals starting or growing a business.

SCORE

SCORE provides expert volunteer business mentors dedicated to helping small businesses plan, launch, manage, and grow.

Ohio Business Gateway

The Ohio Business Gateway provides links to resources for starting, growing, and financing Ohio businesses, and a portal for making payments to many state agencies.

Office of Government Contracting (GC)

GC works to ensure that small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned businesses receive federal government contract awards.

Financing Your Business

Ohio Department of Development Business State Incentives

The Ohio Department of Development offers bonds, grants, loans, and tax credits to assist Ohio businesses.

Ohio Capital Access Program (OCAP)

OCAP is a loan portfolio insurance program that enables small businesses to obtain credit.

Collateral Enhancement Program 2.0 (CEP)

CEP is a state program that facilitates lending to small businesses, and women- and minority-owned businesses that need access to capital.

Ohio Department of Development Assistance and International Engagement

The Ohio Department of Development assists Ohio businesses with entering new export markets or increasing exports

U.S. Small Business Administration Funding Programs (SBA)

The SBA helps small businesses access funding by setting guidelines that reduce risks to lenders.

Grants.Gov

Grants.gov offers a centralized platform for grant seekers to locate and apply for federal funding opportunities.

Encouraging Diversity Growth and Equity (EDGE) Program

EDGE helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses receive state government contracts related to construction, architecture, engineering, professional services, goods and services, and information technology services.

Business Enterprise Program

The Business Enterprise Program supports legally blind Ohioans in pursuing careers in food service management.

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification Program

MBE assists minority businesses in obtaining state government contracts for goods and services.

Minority Business Assistance Centers (MBAC)

MBAC offers a range of assistance, counseling, and development services to small, minority-owned, and disadvantaged businesses in Ohio.

Minority Business Development Division (MBDD)

MBDD provides technical and professional assistance, access to capital and bonding, and connections to business opportunities to small, minority, and disadvantaged Ohio businesses.

SBA Office of Government Contracting

The Office of Government Contracting works to ensure that small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned businesses have the highest possible participation in federal government contract awards and large prime subcontract awards.

SBA Resources for Native American Businesses

The Office of Native American Affairs, within the U.S. SBA, provides resources for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians who want to open or expand small businesses.

Minority Business Bonding Program

Ohio’s Minority Business Bonding Program provides bid, performance, and payment surety bonds to state-certified minority-owned businesses that are unable to obtain bonding through standard surety companies.

Minority Business Direct Loan Program

This program offers fixed, low-interest-rate loans to certified minority-owned businesses that are purchasing or improving fixed assets.

Collateral Enhancement Program 2.0 (CEP)

CEP facilitates increased lending to small and minority-owned businesses. The CEP is designed to enable financing that might otherwise be unavailable due to a collateral shortfall.

Ohio Capital Access Program (OCAP)

OCAP is a loan portfolio insurance program that enables small businesses to receive credit to expand their businesses.

Minority Business Accelerator

The Minority Business Accelerator is an economic development initiative of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. It focuses on serving scalable minority-owned firms.

Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise (VFBE)

VFBE provides preference or bonus points to certified companies that compete to contract with the state to supply the goods or services it needs, including eligible construction services.

SBA Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD)

OVBD provides and makes known all small business resources available to veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, and family members. OVBD is the U.S. SBA’s liaison with the veteran’s business community and provides numerous resources such as training, counseling, and mentorship, as well as oversight of federal procurement programs.

Veteran Entrepreneur Portal (VEP)

VEP is a part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and provides veterans with access to a host of resources necessary to guide every step of entrepreneurship.

SBA Office of Government Contracting

The Office of Government Contracting works to ensure that small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned businesses have the highest possible participation in federal government contract awards and large prime subcontract awards.

Bunker Labs

Bunker Labs is a veteran-led not-for-profit whose mission is to provide community, programs, and courses to help military veterans and military spouses start and grow successful businesses.

Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC)

VBOC is an SBA-backed veteran-led organization that assists veterans and active duty, National Guard, and Reserve members with the expansion of their business through training, workshops, and mentoring.

Veterans and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA)

VAMBOA is a non-profit veteran business trade association that assists veteran, service-disabled veteran, and military business owners. They do so by connecting their members with private corporations and government agencies. They provide networking, collaboration, mentoring, education, certification, and advocacy.

Veteran Affairs Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSBDU)

OSBDU assists veterans with gaining access to economic opportunities and maximizing participation with veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses in federal contracting.

National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NAVOBA)

NAVOBA is an independent nonprofit organization with a mission of creating corporate contracting opportunities for America’s veteran and service-disabled veteran business enterprises.

Encouraging Diversity Growth and Equity (EDGE) Program

EDGE assists socially and economically disadvantaged businesses to receive state government contracts related to construction, architecture, engineering, professional services, goods and services, and information technology services.

ECDI Women's Business Centers of Ohio

ECDI Women’s Business Centers of Ohio (WBCs) is dedicated to eliminating obstacles women business owners face by providing resources, training, and access to capital.

Women's Small Business Accelerator

The Women’s Small Business Accelerator (WSBA) helps women business owners, regardless of their net worth or educational level, achieve their dreams of business ownership.

Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

WBENC provides certification, resources, and engagement to support woman-owned businesses.

SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO)

OWBO provides resources such as comprehensive training and counseling, access to credit and capital, marketing opportunities, and opportunities with federal contracts to woman-owned businesses.

SBA Office of Government Contracting (GC)

GC works to ensure that small, disadvantaged, and woman-owned businesses have the highest possible participation in federal government contract awards and large prime subcontract awards.

Aviatra Accelerators

Aviatra Accelerators is focused on helping women across Ohio start and grow their businesses.

National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across industries. NAWBO works to propel women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political sphere of power.

Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Program

WBE assists women-owned businesses in securing contracts for goods and services, as well as construction, architecture, engineering, information technology, and professional services.