Government / Economic Development / Small Business
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Native American Small Business Support Program — $600,000 in grants now accepting applications
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What happened: The North Dakota Department of Commerce opened the program offering flexible awards between $10,000–$600,000 for qualifying Native American–owned businesses operating in North Dakota. minotdailynews.com+1
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Why it matters: Provides a significant infusion of capital for Native‑owned small businesses, enabling working capital, equipment purchases, expansion, tech upgrades, or workforce development — a rare non‑dilutive support source.
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Who’s affected: For‑profit businesses with ≥ 51% Native American ownership, under 500 employees, located and operating in ND. This includes entrepreneurs, small/mid‑size enterprises, sole proprietors, and home‑based businesses.
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Dates/Deadlines: Applications due by Jan. 13, 2026. Awardees must spend funds by June 30, 2027. minotdailynews.com
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Legacy Investment for Technology Loan Fund (LIFT) — next application deadline Dec. 18, 2025
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What happened: The state’s LIFT program continues to accept applications for low‑interest loans supporting innovative and technology‑driven businesses across multiple sectors (energy, ag‑tech, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, etc.). Commerce | North Dakota+1
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Why it matters: Offers affordable debt financing for startups and scale‑ups — useful for e‑commerce, ag‑tech, clean‑energy, medical device, and other business ventures needing capital but not wanting to give up equity.
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Who’s affected: Entrepreneurs, startups, small/medium businesses statewide planning expansion, technology adoption, or capital investments.
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Dates/Deadlines: Applications accepted now — deadline Dec. 18, 2025 for current quarterly review. Commerce | North Dakota
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Energy / Oil & Gas / Carbon & Regulatory Risk
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Court ruling threatens carbon‑dioxide storage permitting — potential ripple effects across energy & carbon‑capture projects
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What happened: A district court judge declared a North Dakota law — which allowed forced underground storage of CO₂ without jury-determined compensation — unconstitutional, siding with landowner challengers. northdakotamonitor.com
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Why it matters: Creates legal uncertainty for existing and planned carbon‑storage or CO₂ pipeline projects; could delay or halt project approvals, affecting investment, development timelines, and associated services.
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Who’s affected: Carbon‑capture developers, pipeline companies, ethanol plants, oil & gas firms, landowners, service contractors, local governments evaluating hosting storage sites.
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Dates/Deadlines: The ruling occurred Dec 2, 2025; developers will likely revisit permit processes in coming weeks. northdakotamonitor.com
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Education, Startups & Innovation
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Innovate ND Grant Program — last‑call for this round of startup grants
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What happened: The state is wrapping up its current Innovate ND grant window — offers reimbursable grants of up to $50,000 plus business coaching for early‑stage startups. Commerce | North Dakota+1
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Why it matters: Closing window means this is likely the final chance for 2025 startups to access state-supported seed funding and coaching — valuable for freelancers, tech founders, e‑commerce shops, and early‑stage businesses.
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Who’s affected: Solo entrepreneurs, home‑based businesses, early‑stage companies across ND, especially in tech, e‑commerce, manufacturing, services.
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Dates/Deadlines: Application window ends Nov. 26, 2025 (though some sources show “apply ASAP” for rolling window — if you haven’t applied yet, act promptly). Commerce | North Dakota
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