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Funding Resources |
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Jefferson County is one
of the nation's leaders in creating new, technically sophisticated
small businesses. Spin-off technologies from the Denver
Federal Center, Colorado School of Mines, and the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory have fueled a host of new companies.
Small business start-ups and expanding businesses in Jefferson
County can access several financial resources. The Red Rocks
Small Business Development Center is a great place to contact
for assistance.
Red
Rocks Small Business Development Center
1667 Cole Blvd., Ste. 400
Golden, CO 80401-3313
303-233-5555 x0
In addition, the following funding sources and programs
offer financial assistance to start-up and expanding businesses. |
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Local
Bank Lenders |
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Traditional bank lending
has been a popular choice for businesses over the past few
years because of affordable interest rates. Most local banks
also offer U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan
Programs for funding the long-term needs of small businesses
with shorter financial histories. The banks can make loans
that are guaranteed up to 90 percent by the SBA.
For a list of bank lenders in Jefferson County that are
JEC investors, click here.
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Colorado
Housing and Financing Authority |
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The Colorado
Housing and Financing Authority (CHFA) provides a variety
of business financing programs, primarily for small- to
medium-size firms. The programs are funded through issuance
of taxable or tax exempt bonds, from other CHFA borrowings,
or from CHFA's own internal resources.
Programs available to Jefferson County companies include:
- Access
- Quality Investment Capital (QIC)
- Colorado Credit Reserve (CCR)
- Industrial Development Revenue Bonds (IDRB)
- Renew Colorado Loan Program
For additional information, call CHFA at 303-297-2432 or
visit their website.
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Local
Microenterprise Programs |
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Programs that involve community-based
funding are designed to help local businesses that may not
qualify for conventional bank financing.
Business Capital of Colorado, Inc. - Loan amounts up
to $50,000 are awarded. For additional information, call
303-832-8647.
Colorado
Enterprise Fund - Loan amounts up to $25,000. For additional
information, call 303-860-0242, ext.11.
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Government
Financing Programs Offered in Colorado |
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Private Activity Bonds help
Colorado manufacturing businesses fund capital expenditures
for acquisitions or expansion and for purchasing equipment
through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. Project size should
be at least $1 million and cannot exceed $10 million. For
additional information, call Jefferson Economic Council
at
303-202-2965. |
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SBA
Certified Development Companies |
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| SBA Certified Development
Companies (CDCs) are private/public sector nonprofit corporations
that are set up to contribute to the economic development
of a community or region by providing long-term financing
programs for small businesses. The program makes loans available
for acquiring land, buildings, machinery and equipment,
and for building, modernizing, renovating or restoring existing
facilities and sites. Loan amounts range from $50,000 to
$1 million.
There are three CDCs serving Jefferson County companies:
- Denver Urban Economic Development Corporation - 303-861-4100.
- Colorado Lending Source - 303-657-0010.
- Community Economic Development Company of Colorado -
303-893-8989.
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Venture
Capital |
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Venture Capitalists invest
money in growth-oriented companies, usually in exchange for
stock and management involvement. An important strength of
the Denver-Rocky Mountain region is the availability of venture
capital. There is a large amount of entrepreneurial activity
in the Denver area, and a substantial venture capital community
has been created to serve it. According to a national survey
of venture capital spending by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the
Front Range of Colorado has taken a proportionate and steady
share of venture capital funding.
For a list of the larger venture capital firms in Denver,
click here.
A resource for meeting venture capitalists exists through
the Rockies
Venture Club (RVC). RVC provides an open forum where
emerging businesses can network with qualified funding sources.
For additional information, call 303-831-4174.
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Small
Business Investment Companies (SBIC) |
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Small Business Investment
Companies (SBIC) are financial institutions created to make
equity capital and long-term credit available to small,
independent businesses. The National
Association of Small Business Investment Companies keeps
a directory of all the SBICs. The association can be reached
at 1-202-628-5055. |
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Angel
Investors |
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| Angel Capital Networks are
organizations that bring together entrepreneurs in need of
capital and potential investors. Colorado
Capital Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit enterprise matching
angel investors and entrepreneurs throughout the state, can
be reached at 303-404-8818. |
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Federal
Awards Programs |
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There are several Federal
Awards Programs designed to strengthen and expand the
competitiveness of U.S. small high-technology research and
development businesses in the federal marketplace through
financial grants and other services. Some of these programs
include:
Another helpful resource to access information regarding
federal programs is a search engine entitled TECH-Net. |
