Finance

CDFI Fund Financial Assistance Awards

Competitive Financial Assistance (FA) awards for Certified CDFIs to expand affordable financial products and services in low-income and underserved communities. FA can be provided as loans, grants, equity investments, deposits, and credit union shares, and must be matched dollar-for-dollar with non-federal funds. The CDFI Program also offers Technical Assistance (TA) grants to build organizational capacity, and supplemental Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) FA awards for CDFIs expanding healthy food financing activities.

Type: Grant Amount: Not specified on program page; see NOFA Deadline: See NOFA for current deadlines Location: United States

InvestEU Programme

Provides EU budget guarantees enabling financial institutions to support innovative projects with loans, equity, and guarantees.

Amount: Variable (loans and equity up to €50,000,000+) Deadline: Rolling Location: Europe

SBA Microloan Program: Up to $50,000 for Small Businesses and Startups

Microloans up to $50,000 for small businesses and startups via nonprofit intermediary lenders, plus technical assistance and business counseling. Average loan is $14,000 with terms up to 6 years.

Type: Loan Amount: Up to $50,000; average $14,000 Deadline: rolling application Location: United States

VA Home Loan Benefits 2025: How Veterans Can Buy a Home with $0 Down

If you’re a Veteran, service member, or surviving spouse and you think you “can’t afford a house,” the VA home loan program might change your mind very quickly. This isn’t a tiny perk buried in your benefits packet.

Type: Benefit Amount: Loan amounts up to conforming limits with zero down; funding fee varies 0.5%–3.3% Deadline: rolling application Location: United States

Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi): Multi-Million Dollar Funding for Women-Owned SMEs

World Bank initiative channeling hundreds of millions of dollars through development banks to support women-owned SMEs in developing countries. Funds blended finance, guarantee schemes, technical assistance, and market access.

Type: Grant Amount: Varies by implementing partner (multi-million allocations) Deadline: Rolling Location: Global