Part B · Startup-relevant scheme
CDFI Bond Guarantee Program (CDFI Bond Guarantee)
US Department of the Treasury (CDFI Fund)
Loan / Credit
Growth / Scaling
Enacted under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, this program has Treasury guarantee bonds a Qualified Issuer sells to the Federal Financing Bank, with proceeds re-lent by CDFIs for community and economic development, including small-business startups and expansion.
Type of support
Loan / Credit
Best suited for
Growth
Headline amount
Varies by originating CDFI
Objectives
Solve CDFIs' long-standing shortage of long-term, low-cost capital by using the federal government's credit to access bond markets at a scale individual CDFIs couldn't reach alone.
Who can apply?
- Direct beneficiaries are CDFIs (through a Qualified Issuer), not individual businesses applying to Treasury.
- A business benefits by borrowing from a CDFI that draws on Bond Guarantee Program capital.
What do you get?
- 100% Treasury guarantee on bonds with maturities up to 30 years.
- Nearly $3B in bonds guaranteed to date.
- No cost to taxpayers by design — a credit subsidy, not a grant.
How to apply
Individual businesses apply to a participating CDFI for a loan, not to Treasury directly.
Key links
Details as most recently confirmed against the official source linked above. Deadlines, amounts and windows change — verify on the official portal before applying.