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NWCDC serves a three-county, coal-impacted region of Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties. If your small business is located in one of these three counties, NWCDC can provide technical assistance, business consulting, and grant navigation, writing or assistance. Contact us to learn how we can help.

The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (Colorado SBDC) is a program within the Office of Economic Trade & International Trade (OEDIT), dedicated to helping existing and new businesses grow and prosper in Colorado by providing free and confidential consulting and no- or low-cost training programs. The Colorado SBDC has locations around the state with a team of business experts ready to help you create and retain jobs, secure loans, increase sales, win government contracts, obtain certifications and more.

• Business Foundations Technical Assistance is a program within OEDIT, partnered with the SBDC to provide technical assistance and small grants to Colorado small businesses to help businesses legally establish themselves. The program includes 3 required training paths:  1) Legal Formation and Registration; 2) Accounting and Finance; 3) Digital Marketing & E-commerce. Once training is completed, businesses may be eligible for small grants of up to $1,200.  Learn more here. 
• Statewide SBDC Training Calendar & Library:
  • Upcoming Live Training Programs
  • On Demand Training programs
• SBDC Small Business Accelerated Growth Program targets specific areas of business like access to capital, digital marketing, or market research to give business owners free learning content in an online platform, in conjunction with no-cost SBDC consulting. Select pathways provide an opportunity to receive up to $5,000 in grant funding. Learn more.

Startup Colorado manages a free online community and resource center, built solely for rural entrepreneurs, who need to connect directly with mentors, capital partners, service providers, and helpful business support organizations in your region or industry.

Inside the Startup Colorado Rural Entrepreneur Network, you’ll find:

• Live Feed with introductions, networking opportunities, Q&As, and events.
• Statewide Events Calendar with 40+ upcoming entrepreneurship events from Startup Colorado and all our community partners, both online and in-person events
• People Directory, where you can search 1300+ members based on their member type, location, industry, expertise, what they might need help with, and business stage
• Resource Center with on-demand business resources, including a comprehensive Funding Database with 270+ unique funding sources searchable by funding type, business stage, location, and industry

Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center offers free, confidential business counseling for new and existing small businesses.  The YVEC was established in 1999 and has assisted hundreds of local businesses launch and stay viable through changing economic conditions.  Several skilled business professionals donate their time to meet with individuals and discuss their goals and challenges. YVEC also offers a variety of seminars and workshops to help with the professional development of your small business skills. YVEC hosts an annual Community Business Plan competition to encourage thorough planning for new startups.  Call or email for an appointment. The YVEC is part of the Routt County Economic Development Partnership.

Contact: 
Aaron Walls, Manager
Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center
Office: 970-457-4529
Cell: 970-819-2016 
Email: aaron.walls@rcedp.org
 

The Meeker Business Center is located at 345 Market Street on the second floor of Town Hall. Hosted by the Meeker Chamber Office, the Business Center provides meeting spaces and technical training for small businesses through the Biz First Program. Learn more.

The Cash Collateral Support program helps small and medium-sized businesses in Colorado access loans that they would otherwise not get because they do not have enough collateral. The program provides a cash deposit as collateral for a business loan or credit facility when the business cannot meet the lender’s collateral requirements. Learn more.

CHFA strengthens Colorado by investing in affordable housing and economic development. Using a variety of resources, CHFA's Community Development team partners with lenders and economic developers to provide businesses financing and access to capital needed to support future growth. CHFA has programs for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including unique offerings for manufacturers and rural businesses. Strong communities make strong economies and CHFA is proud to play a role.​​​​​ Learn more.

The Colorado Revolving Loan Fund provides loans that help small to medium-sized Colorado businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These loans range from $5,000 to $750,000. Learn more.

First Southwest Community Fund provides inclusive and equitable access to capital through a range of innovative programs for rural Colorado entrepreneurs and small business owners–ensuring these businesses have access to the capital they need to grow and enrich their communities. This community fund operates statewide for rural communities. Learn more.

NLF makes low-interest loans to new or growing businesses within a nine-county area, including Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Jackson, Grant, Eagle, Summit, and Pitkin Counties for the following expenditures: 

• Acquisition of an existing business
• Business expansion
• Start-up costs for a new or expanding business
• Purchase of business-occupied real estate
• Purchase of equipment, furniture, and fixtures
• Inventory and working capital

The program does require collateral.  Most loans ranged from $10,000 to $500,000 with fees at 2-3% and favorable interest rates.  NLF takes greater risks than most lenders. Learn more.

The federal SBA program provides an array of financing for small businesses. Options range from the smallest needs in microlending to debt and equity investment capital. The SBA website also has information for starting and managing a business to financing. Learn more.

Greater Colorado Venture Fund invests in early-stage startups headquartered across the state of Colorado, outside of the Front Range. A venture fund is private equity financing, where investors buy a stake in an entrepreneur's idea, nurture it for a short period of time, and then exit with the help of an investment. In order to be considered for investment by the Greater Colorado Venture Fund, companies must meet the following criteria:

• Headquarters or significant operations located in rural Colorado
• At least two full-time employees based in rural Colorado
• Committed to being located in rural Colorado for at least five years
• Seeking first institutional investment or "growth" capital funding
• Serving customers well-beyond the company's locality, or is raising funds to scale to customers beyond the company's locality

Ideally, the company should be a firm with the potential for high growth that is no longer in its start-up phase and is ready to scale up. 
 

RVC accelerates economic development by educating and connecting investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners. RVC holds over 140 events per year throughout Colorado and virtually via Zoom. Events include speakers and panels focusing on raising capital for early-stage businesses.  RVC also hosts the annual Angel Capital Summit each March, with educational boot camps and forty companies pitching to investors. RVC is one of the most active Angel groups in the country! RVC funds 25-30 companies annually. Apply to the RVC here.

Routt County Economic Development Partnership’s YVEC hosts an annual Community Business Plan competition to encourage thorough planning for new startups. Learn more.

Hayden Pitch Competition
The Town of Hayden hosts an annual Business Pitch Competition, that aims to empower local entrepreneurs to start or expand their businesses in Hayden. The competition is intended to support businesses that provide significant economic and community impacts and businesses that may have less access to traditional sources of capital. Judges will be scoring pitches based on the business’ pitch, the feasibility of their business, and the economic and community impacts of the business. Learn more.

City of Craig Pitch Competition
The City of Craig hosts a Craig Business Plan Competition which supports existing businesses and encourages potential startups with a $15,000 prize for the winner of each category. The Economic Development Advisory Committee teamed with the Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center, which offered free consulting to contestants throughout the process. The Moffat County Local Marketing District signed on to provide the prize money. Learn more.