Community-Driven Economic Empowerment

The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, in collaboration with the Manchester Chapter of the NAACP and the Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC), is happy to accept applications for the 2026 Community-Driven Economic Empowerment (C-DEE) program. The program was designed to help entrepreneurs who have been excluded from or underserved by traditional financial services.

Applicants may apply for up to $5,000 that can be used for the following:

Computer hardware (Computer, point of sale equipment, tablet, printer, etc.)
Computer software (Bookkeeping, point of sale, project management, productivity, etc.)
Professional services (Bookkeeping, digital marketing, etc.)

The following uses are NOT allowed: Hiring employees, paying employees, purchasing vehicles or inventory, paying debt, utilities or rent, etc.

In addition to the monetary awards that will be made by the C-DEE program, we may be able to connect certain recipients to limited pro bono legal services, valued at up to $5,000.

The following questions are aimed at identifying your assessment of the challenges facing your business, how you would you go about solving them, and how you would use funding from the C-DEE program to implement your proposed solutions.

An Advisory Council, composed of local community and business leaders, will have the job of reviewing your application. The council will be looking for clarity, consistency, and completeness when evaluating your application.

Required Upload Notice – Secretary of State Good Standing

Please have your Secretary of State Certificate of Good Standing ready to upload at the end of this application. Applications will not be considered complete without this document.

Contact Information

Eligible businesses must be registered AND in good standing with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. Please provide your Business ID below. You can search for your business at this link: https://quickstart.sos.nh.gov/online

Business ID

Your First Name:

Your Last Name:

Business Email:

Business Name:

Business Street Address

Business City:

Business State:

Business Zip Code:

Business County:

Business Phone Number:

Business Details

Year your business was incorporated? (What year did you open)

How many full-time employees do you currently have?

Please provide the number of owners for the business:

What products or services does your business provide? Give us your elevator pitch!

350 character limit

What specific difficulty, challenge or problem is your business facing that could be solved with technology and/or professional services?

350 character limit

How have you or your business been excluded from or underserved by traditional financial services?

350 character limit

Funding Needs

Please select which products or services you would purchase if awarded these funds.
Select all that apply:

Total Funding Amount Requested:

$

Limit $5000

Computer hardware (Laptop, desktop, point of sale equipment, tablet, printer)

Check if yes

Computer software (QuickBooks, Asana, Office Suite, AutoCAD, LinkedIn premium, etc.)

Check if yes

Digital Marketing

Check if yes

Professional Bookkeeper/Accountant

Check if yes

Other (Please explain below)

Check if yes

Other:

350 character limit

Assistance History

Has this business and/or its owner(s) previously received funding from the C-DEE program?

Has any owner of this business applied for C-DEE program funding under another business/entity this current application cycle (2026)?

If yes, please provide the name of the other business Prior:

· The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund provides flexible financing to businesses and nonprofits that don't fit the strict credit boxes of traditional lenders.

Do you think you may need a business loan in the future? If so, please let us know when you might be ready:

Legal Assistance

In addition to the monetary awards that will be made by the C-DEE program, we may be able to connect certain recipients to limited pro bono legal services, valued at up to $5,000. If your business is interested in being considered for these additional awards of legal services, please answer the following questions:

Are you applying for professional services with a business attorney?

Has your business ever worked with a business attorney?

REQUIRED: If yes, what category of assistance did the business attorney provide? Please check any category provided (no details are requested)

Formation or Structure

Contracts

Employment Matters

Intellectual Property

Compliance or Licensing

Dispute-related Matter

What sort of legal services does your business most need assistance with?

255 characters

Please provide a very short description of the legal work you are hoping to obtain help with (50 words or less).

250 character limit

Is there a timeframe in which you need the legal work conducted? If so, state the timeframe.

250 character limit

By checking this box, I understand that many factors will be considered in selecting the recipients of the pro bono legal services awards, including whether the involved law firm has any conflicts of interest with any of the involved persons/entities, and the fit of the legal services sought with the available attorneys’ experience. I further understand that, unless and until an engagement letter is signed between me and the law firm offering pro bono services, no attorney-client relationship has been established. If I have an immediate need for legal services, I understand that I should seek assistance elsewhere.

I agree

Acknowledgements

Is there anything else you want to share with us that could be helpful when reviewing your application?

350 character limit

How did you hear about the C-DEE program?

If other, please enter here:

By checking this box I acknowledge and understand that any funds provided to me by the C-DEE program will be used solely for the intended purposes outlined in this application and subsequent agreement:

I agree

By checking this box, if selected to receive C-DEE program funding, I agree to provide a copy of my W-9 and signed Grant Agreement to the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund no later than April 2026. I understand my funding may be forfeited if these documents are not received by the deadline.

I agree

Please attach your State of New Hampshire Certificate of Good Standing

By typing my full name below, I certify that all information provided is accurate and complete, and I am authorized to submit this application.

My typed name below is my signature: