• Loan & Financial Readiness Cohort Application

  • Thank you for your interest in the NCRC Community Development Fund Loan & Financial Readiness Cohort.

    This 6-week virtual program is designed for established businesses considering financing and seeking support to strengthen their financial position, assess loan readiness, and prepare for the financing process.

    This application will help NCRC CDF understand your business, financing needs, current financial readiness, and overall fit for the program. Selected participants will complete a more detailed Financial & Loan Readiness Diagnostic before the cohort begins.

    Please complete this application carefully. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

    Deadline: September 18, 2026

     

    Program Start Date: October 6, 2026

  • Guidelines, Criteria, and Terms & Conditions

     

    Eligibility Criteria


    Applicants must meet all the following requirements:

    • Business must be based and registered in the United States.
    • Business owners must be U.S. citizens or lawful residents of a U.S. state or territory and at least 18 years old.
    • Business must be legally registered and operating, for-profit or nonprofit, for a minimum of two years and in good standing.
    • Business must generally have annual revenues between $50,000 and $5,000,000.
    • Business must have a net worth of at least $60,000.
    • Business owners must have a personal net worth of at least $25,000.
    • Applicants must have filed all required federal tax returns or be able to provide documentation regarding any unresolved tax filing or processing matter.
    • Applicants must maintain separate business and personal bank accounts or be willing to establish a separate business account.
    • Applicants should be considering business financing within approximately the next 3–6 months.
    • Businesses must not have any unresolved legal, regulatory, or compliance issues that could materially affect business operations, ownership, or eligibility for financing.
    • Applicants must be willing to provide financial statements and other business documentation necessary to assess financial and loan readiness.
    • Applicants must operate in an eligible lending state. NCRC CDF does not currently lend in CA, NV, ND, SD, DE, or VT.

     

    Program Guidelines
    Participants accepted into the loan & financial readiness cohort agree to the following:

    Commit fully to the program for the entire 6-week duration.

    Attend all scheduled sessions, workshops, and one-on-one coaching meetings.

    Complete assigned coursework and submit required business information on time.

    Actively participate in discussions, exercises, and peer learning sessions.

    Maintain confidentiality and respect the privacy of other participants.

    Provide accurate, updated business information and documentation as requested.

    Be open to feedback from instructors, coaches, and lending professionals.

    Failure to meet these expectations may affect eligibility to complete the program.


    Terms and Conditions

    Non-Discrimination: The loan & financial readiness cohort is open to all eligible applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

    No Guarantee of Funding: Participation in the cohort does not guarantee loan approval or financing. Loan decisions are made independently by our lending team or partner lenders based on their criteria.

    Program Commitment: Participants must actively engage in and complete all components of the program to gain the full benefit of the training and support provided.

    Confidentiality and Data Use: All participant information will be used solely for program administration, coaching, and evaluation purposes. Aggregate data may be used for reporting and improvement, but individual business information will remain confidential.

    Program Feedback: Participants may be asked to participate in surveys or interviews to help measure program outcomes and enhance future offerings.

    Right to Dismiss: The program team reserves the right to remove participants who fail to meet eligibility, attendance, or engagement expectations, or who exhibit disruptive behavior.

    Changes to Program: We reserve the right to modify session dates, schedules, or content if necessary and will notify participants of any changes in advance.

  • Section 1: Business Information

  • Legal Structure*
  • Industry Type (Select all that applies)*
  • What stage is your business currently in?*

  • Section 2: Applicant Information

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Race/Ethnicity*
  • Gender*
  • Are you a U.S citizen or lawful resident?*
  • Are you at least 18 years old?*
  • Are there additional owners with 20% or greater ownership?*

  • Section 3: Business Financial Profile

  • Approximately how much revenue did your business generate during its most recently completed fiscal year?*
  • What is your approximate Business Net Worth (Total Assets minus Total Liabilities)?*
  • Approximate Personal Net Worth of the primary business owner, excluding the value of the business*
  • Is your business currently profitable?*
  • Have you filed your required business and personal Federal, State, and/or Sales & Use tax returns for the current year and the past two to three years (if applicable)?*
  • Are you current on your Federal, State, and Sales & Use tax obligations?*
  • Do you currently maintain a separate business bank account?*
  • How many business operating bank accounts do you have?*
  • Are you currently working with a bookkeeper and/or accountant?*
  • Can NCRC loan specialists and cohort counselors reach out to your bookkeeper and/or accountant during the cohort to assist with loan readiness and document preparation?*
  • Are you currently using any accounting software?*
  • Do you have access to a financial expert, either in-house or through an external advisor?*
  • Do you have readily available access to the following business documents, financial statements and reporting data?*
  • How much personal capital have you invested in the business so far?*

  • Section 4: Credit & Debt Profile

  • What is your approximate personal credit score range?*
  • Do you have business credit established?*
  • Have you or your business ever filed for bankruptcy?*
  • Are there any active legal proceedings against your organization?*
  • Are you more than 90 days delinquent on any existing loans?*
  • Are you prepared to provide the following documents if selected for the cohort?*

  • Section 5: Loan Readiness & Capital Goals

  • What do you plan to use the loan funds for?*
  • When do you realistically plan to apply for funding?*
  • Have you applied for a business loan or other financing before?*
  • Do you have business assets or personal collateral available to support the loan?*

  • Section 6: Program Fit & Commitment

  • Can you commit to attending all scheduled sessions?*
  • What days and times are you generally available to attend sessions?
  • How did you hear about this program?
  • Should be Empty: