Take advantage of free support, training, and funding opportunities from governments and private organizations.
- The Small Business Administration is a federal agency that provides online training, small business guidance, and loans.
- Techstars is a private accelerator seeking to support nascent ventures. In addition to many in-person events and trainings that they offer in cities around the world, their Entrepreneur’s Toolkit teaches entrepreneurial foundations through short tutorials.
- The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation is a privately funded foundation that promotes economic development in southeastern Minnesota. They provide training, networking, and funding opportunities.
- IgniteMN nurtures small businesses in rural southeast Minnesota through free legal consultation, business mentorship, and networking both online and in-person. The annual Ignite Cup funds businesses through a startup competition.
- Run by the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School, the MN Cup is a state-wide startup competition with subdivisions for Impact ventures and student-led organizations.
- The Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers supports BIPOC entrepreneurs and those serving low-income communities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The organization provides no-cost advising, one-on-one mentoring, and loans.
- VentureWell runs an incubator for science-related student startups. Initial grants of $5,000 come with training and an opportunity to apply for an addition $20,000 in funding.
