The City of Austin Small Business Division offers a comprehensive directory of small business resources offered by local, state, and federal governments and non-profit agencies. Our goal for the City of Austin Small Business Resources Directory is to increase awareness and use of the programs that provide aid in the development of your business. Call 512-974-7800, email SmallBiz@austintexas.gov or visit our website for information about all our services and resources.

Organization Phone Number Description
LIFT Development Enterprises, Inc.

LIFT Development Enterprises, Inc. is a community development organization and micro-small business accelerator with a mission to help underserved and under represented small business owners to overcome the challenges they face due to lack of access to capital and to assist them in increasing business capacity resulting in higher revenue growth and providing premium wage jobs. 

City of Austin Public Works Department

The City’s Bicycle Program works to make Austin an even greater city for biking — and a community where people of all ages and abilities experience biking as safe, comfortable, convenient and fun. 

https://www.westarts.org/ 503.274.4729

Western Arts Alliance (WAA) is a membership association of touring and performing arts professionals engaged in promoting and presenting performing arts throughout the western states and provinces. Serving members since 1967, WAA’s annual booking conference and its year-round programs are essential for artists, artist managers, presenters, and other performing arts professionals in the West.

Warrior Rising 833.932.7397

Founded by entrepreneurial combat veterans, this non-profit helps veterans who want to start a business by providing start-up grants, instruction, one-on-one mentorship and connection to a community of veteran entrepreneurs and potential funding sources

Texas Rural Cooperative Center 956.665.7545

The Texas Rural Cooperative Center exists to improve the economic conditions of rural Texas by assisting with the start-up, expansion, and operational improvement of rural businesses, especially cooperatives and mutually-owned businesses.

BioTechnology Commercialization Center at the University of Texas Health Scienc…

The Biotechnology Commercialization Center's mission is to help commercialize and incubate UTHealth and Houston-based technologies, while increasing the number of Texas-based companies. 

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dream Big Awards

The annual Dream Big Awards recognizes a small business for its contributions to the U.S. economy and offers a grant to $25,000.

US Ignite Start-Up Accelerator Program

US Ignite offers an opportunity for smart city startups to launch or accelerate their cloud-based services or business. 

Texas Restaurant Association

To support independent restaurants, the Texas Restaurant Relief Fund will distribute grants of up to $5,000 per unit to immediately support their financial needs. 

TexasNonprofits®

TexasNonprofits is a source for non-profit jobs and information philanthropy and fundraising in Texas for grantmakers, trustees, foundations, and non-profits. 

Disaster Unemployment Assistance - Texas Workforce Commission 800.939.6631

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) provides unemployment benefits for individuals who lost their jobs or self-employment or who are no longer working as a direct result of a major disaster for which a disaster assistance period is declared, and who applied but are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits. 

Texas Workforce Commission Skills for Small Business Program 800.628.5115

Small businesses in Texas with newly hired workers can receive grants to cover employee training.

Texas Community Building with Attorney Resources

Texas CBAR offers a Pro Bono Legal Referral Program designed to connect eligible non-profits and microenterprises with volunteer attorneys who provide legal assistance on business, corporate, and legal matters that do not involve litigation. 

Texas Real Estate Commission

The Texas Legislature established the Texas Real Estate Commission in 1949 to safeguard consumers in matters of real property transactions and valuation services.  

Small Business Lending Fund - U.S. Department of Treasury

The Small Business Lending Fund provide up to $30 billion in capital to qualified banks and other targeted lenders with assets of less than $10 billion. 

Travis County

Information for small business owners on starting a DBA (Assumed Name), Historically Underutilized Businesses(HUB), and doing business with the county. 

Preservation Tax Incentive - Texas Historical Commission 512.463.6100

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program includes a 20 percent income tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings. The Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program offers a 25 percent tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic buildings.

State Bar of Texas Legal Disaster Hotline

The State Bar of Texas legal hotline helps people find answers to basic legal questions and connects them with legal aid providers following declared disasters.  

Texas State Trade Expansion Program Grant 800.835.5832

Texas businesses that want to start exporting or expand their current exporting initiatives can apply for reimbursement grants for expenses such as shipping costs, interpreter fees, compliance testing, travel cost, market analysis fees, among other expenses. 

Texas Department of Insurance

The Texas Department of Insurance regulates insurers and other companies that conduct insurance business in Texas, and assists Texas-based insurance consumers. 

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

TCEQ is the state agency responsible for most recycling-related regulations including landfill permits, electronics recycling, and hazardous waste laws. 

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is responsible for regulating, inspecting, and taxing the production, sale, and use of alcoholic beverages within the state. 

PitchTX

The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, and MSTC host this SXSW Startup Pitch Competition. 

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

COVID-19 resource for financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.