Small Business Loans, Grants, and Resources for Hispanic Business Owners

Hispanic-owned businesses make up an impactful piece of the American small-business pie, comprising just shy of 8% of all U.S. businesses, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2024. In fact, the total number of small businesses owned by Hispanic entrepreneurs rose almost 15% between 2021 and 2022. And in fiscal year 2025, the SBA has approved more than 4,000 SBA 7(a) loans totaling over $1.3 billion for Hispanic business owners.

Of course, there are still barriers to entry and success. We’ve compiled the following list of small business loans, grants, and additional resources to support Hispanic business owners.

Here are some of the best loan options for Hispanic-owned businesses:

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) teams up with local nonprofit lenders to make SBA microloans of up to $50,000 available to business owners. Many of the nonprofit intermediaries do outreach with Hispanic and other minority communities of business owners. These government-backed business loans come with low interest rates and seven-year terms.

Previously, the SBA had a separate program for Community Advantage loans. That program expired toward the end of 2023, and lenders approved for that program have continued their commitment to funding underserved communities within the wider SBA 7(a) loan program. 7(a) loans can be issued in amounts up to $5 million to borrowers with strong personal credit and at least a couple of years in business.

Accion Opportunity Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports Hispanic businesses, among other minority-owned businesses. Providing loans of up to $250,000 with terms ranging from one to five years, Accion commits to considering the full picture of a borrower’s application. In other words, if you’re a startup, if you have bad credit, if you just need a small loan to get your business going—Accion will consider you. Accion also provides small business owners access to financial education, mentoring, and other resources.

Kiva U.S. entered the microlending space in 2005 with a unique business model: crowdfunding for small business loans. The platform helps to connect small business owners across the country with up to $15,000 in funds at 0% interest. To raise the funds, interested applicants must market their business to Kiva’s community of over 1.5 million individual lenders. Crowdfunding can be a time-consuming endeavor, but it also doubles as an avenue to market your business to an audience of interested customers.

When you get a small business loan, you have to pay it back—plus interest. Not so with a grant. But because this funding method comes free of charge, it is highly competitive and rather time consuming. If you can carve out the time to research grants that best fit your business and its funding needs, though, it’s well worth a shot.

Here are some private and government grants for Hispanic small businesses:

Grants.gov is the largest repository of federal government grants. Most federal agencies that provide grants list the information on this website. Businesses in the technology or science fields are especially likely to come across opportunities here.

The SBIR and STTR programs are government grants from 11 different federal government agencies. These grants are focused around tech and science and have a competitive application cycle. However, if you’re able to qualify, you could receive up to $1.8 million in capital.

Hispanic business owners who operate a nonprofit in a rural area might be eligible for rural business development grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These grants must be used to benefit a rural area and can be used for a variety of purposes.

Small business owners can receive a grant of up to $4,000 through the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). You need to become of NASE before you can apply and demonstrate how the grant would help you achieve your business goals.

Hispanic women often face additional obstacles, related to both ethnicity and gender. The Amber Grant provides $10,000 in funding to three deserving female business owners each month. Three recipients are then awarded a $25,000 grant at the end of the year.

In your search for capital, here are additional resources you may find helpful:

If you wish to be connected with loan programs or other resources that help you penetrate new markets, you can contact local MBDA centers. Business specialists are available to assist Hispanic business owners in competing for a contract, securing a loan, identifying a strategic partner, and more.

Contacting your local U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce can be helpful in your efforts to take out a business loan. Many of the chapters work with lenders and banks to administer loan programs for Hispanic business owners.

SCORE is a resource sponsored by the government and partially funded by the SBA. The site is available in Spanish and is designed to help Hispanic business owners grow their operations and navigate regulations that every business owner must understand. You can take advantage of business workshops or even find a mentor to help you create a business plan or navigate funding challenges.

The Latino Coalition is a membership organization that provides helpful resources for Latino business owners. They do a lot of advocacy, lobby all levels of government on policies that will help Latino-owned businesses thrive. They also arrange networking events, which can lead to funding if you make the right connections, plus discounted business goods and services.

One of the most challenging aspects of starting any business is securing financing. But Fundera is here to help.