Fuel Your Green Business with Flexible Capital
Affordable, accessible capital—plus a grant reward—designed for businesses building a more sustainable, resilient future with no minimum credit score.
Flexible Capital with a Built-In Reward
The Green Growth Fund supports sustainable economic development with accessible financing up to $250,000 for underinvested small businesses. Designed with a lower barrier to entry, the fund helps entrepreneurs advancing clean energy and green practices grow with confidence.
A unique feature of the fund is the Sustainable Boost Grant, awarded upon full loan repayment—offering added financial flexibility.
Requirements
Entrepreneurs should fall into one of the two below:
Entrepreneur seeking to implement sustainable practices, materials, and/or energy efficiency installations
Entrepreneur executing projects in sustainable or green economy industries (ex. EV charging, retrofitting, waste management)
Restrictions
Funding Restriction:
DC resident or small business (focus on Ward 5, 7, 8 but not exclusive to)
Additional Eligibility
WACIF requires the following minimum eligibility criteria to be met for all potential borrowers:
- Business owner must be a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or have a valid work visa
- Must have filed federal income taxes for the most recent filing deadline with the IRS (business and/or personal) or have filed an extension
- Business must have a business bank account
- Must have been in business for a minimum of 1 year
- Must have had business revenue at or above $50,000 during the previous fiscal year
- Cannot be a non-profit (with the exception of child care centers), an unregistered business, or a Limited Cooperative Association
- Cannot be a business within the following list of restricted industries
- WACIF cannot lend to businesses in the following industries:
- Lobbying or politically-focused businesses;
- Any speculative business (such as oil wildcatting);
- Any business that presents live performances of a prurient sexual nature; or derives directly or indirectly more than 5 percent of gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature;
- Any businesses teaching, counseling or indoctrinating religion or religious beliefs;
- Any pyramid sale distribution plan;
- Gambling (including legal);
- Any financial business primarily engaged in lending, or loan packagers earning more than one third of their gross annual revenues from packaging SBA loans;
- Life Insurance companies;
- Any business engaged in illegal activity;
- Tanning salons
- Cannabis businesses
- Pawn shops
- Astrology, palm reading
Documentation Requirements: View the documentation WACIF requests during its underwriting process.
