Specialized Business Support

The Employee Ownership Office (EO) offers an alternative path to retirement that also preserves jobs, creating a win-win for business owners, employees and communities. Through a network of training, support, education, and consulting for businesses considering employee ownership structures, the EO brings together partners including employee-owned businesses, attorneys, financial and accounting professionals, and other employee ownership organizations.

EO programs include:

• Employee Ownership Tax Credit to Establish or to Expand program - Available to Colorado-headquartered businesses to cover up to 50% of a qualified business’ conversion costs for use on their state income taxes. Applications are open and accepted on a rolling basis.
• Employee Ownership Tax Credit to Strengthen and to Thrive program - Available to Colorado-headquartered newly-established employee-owned businesses beginning in tax year 2025. 
• ARPA SLFRF Employee Ownership Technical Assistance Scholarship Programs - Two technical assistance programs and scholarships to help you assess the viability of employee ownership for your business and implement an employee-owned model. Funding is limited.
  • Center for Community Wealth Building (CCWB) - For businesses in urban Colorado seeking to transition to a worker cooperative.
  • Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center (RMEOC) - For businesses in rural Colorado seeking to transition to an employee-owned structure.

For a complete list of programs and funding opportunities with EO, please visit their webpage. If you are unsure if you are eligible, schedule a meeting with the Colorado SBDC to further discuss. 

The Minority Business Office (MBO) is a passionate team working to increase economic opportunity for minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs across the state. The MBO works closely with other teams within OEDIT to assist clients to gain access to additional resources.

The MBO collaborates with an established network of public, private, and government resources to assist businesses of all types and sizes to establish, expand and strengthen their opportunities locally, nationally, or internationally.

MBO programs and support include:

• Pathways to Government Contracts and Consumer Connections - Are you a Colorado business interested in expanding through government contract opportunities? Or are you looking to work with a BIPOC-owned business? The MBO connects minority, women and veteran owned businesses seeking important resources to succeed in the bidding process or expand their market.
• Bilingual Support - Work with the MBO to access bilingual business advising and access to bilingual courses.

For a complete list of programs and funding opportunities with the MBO, please visit their webpage. If you are unsure if you are eligible, schedule a meeting with the Colorado SBDC to further discuss. 

The Business Funding & Incentives (BF&I) division works closely with the Global Business Development (GBD) division and the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) to provide the funding and performance-based incentives needed to create and retain jobs in Colorado.

BF&I programs include:

• Advanced Industries Investment Tax Credit - Improves access to capital for Colorado’s early-stage advanced industries businesses by reducing investor risk.
• Colorado Startup Loan Fund - The Colorado Startup Loan Fund provides loan capital to mission-based lenders to provide loans to Colorado entrepreneurs and small business owners needing capital to start, restart, or restructure a business, and those who are not able to obtain a loan from traditional lenders. This is a revolving loan fund, meaning the dollars will be used to continue supporting new entrepreneurs as loans are repaid.
• Enterprise Zone Program - Supports business expansion in economically distressed areas throughout the state through a variety of tax credits that help economic development.
• Rural Jump-Start Program - Provides relief to new businesses and employees when they locate in economically distressed areas of rural Colorado.
• Venture Capital Authority - Invests in early-stage startups headquartered in Colorado outside of the front range.

For a complete list of programs and funding opportunities with BF&I, please visit their webpage. If you are unsure if you are eligible, schedule a meeting with the Colorado SBDC to further discuss.