# T00-DRIP Funding Research — SnS Hospitality Group

# Funding Research — T00-DRIP

Grants, loans, tax incentives, and development programs for The Daily Pour
Researched: August 5, 2026 | South Bend / NW Indiana / St. Joseph County

⚠️ Note (July 2026): Indiana Executive Order 26-17 (issued July 14, 2026) suspended the state's MBE/WBE diversity programs. Federal programs (SBA, USDA), city-level programs (South Bend), and nonprofit lenders (Bankable, Flagship) are unaffected.

## Direct Grants (Free Money — No Repayment)

### 1. South Bend Opportunity Fund GrantLoan

Amount | Loans $1,000–$30,000 (below-market interest) + free business coaching/mentorship
Eligibility | Business located in South Bend, revenues under $300,000/yr prior year
Partners | 1st Source Bank + North Central Indiana Small Business Development Center
Apply | isbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup
Info | southbendin.gov/opportunityfund
Why apply | Pre-revenue startup in South Bend = perfect fit. Free coaching alone is worth it.

### 2. Flagstar Bank BIPOC Grant CLOSED

Amount | $5,000 per recipient (35 grants from $175,000 pool)
Status | PROGRAM COMPLETED. All 35 awards already distributed. No new applications accepted.
Info | Flagstar BIPOC Grant details
Action | Monitor Indiana Black Expo for future rounds. Follow Flagstar for other BIPOC programs.

### 3. USDA Business Builder Award TERMINATED

Amount | Up to $100,000 direct financial assistance
Status | PROGRAM TERMINATED July 15, 2025. USDA Secretary Rollins killed the Regional Food Business Centers program. No new Business Builder awards being issued.
Source | USDA termination announcement
Our center | Great Lakes Midwest RFBC (Michigan State, covered Indiana) — shut down.

Why apply Coffee trailer = food business. Up to $100k grant covers nearly the entire buildout. Check application windows.

## Solar & Energy Grants (Power System Funding)

### 4. USDA REAP — Rural Energy for America Program GrantLoan

Amount | Grants up to 50% of renewable energy project cost + guaranteed loans
Eligibility | Rural small business (check USDA eligibility map — areas outside cities of 50,000+). Some South Bend-adjacent areas qualify.
Covers | Solar panels, battery storage, energy-efficient equipment upgrades
Info | USDA REAP Indiana
Why apply | Could fund 50% of your solar/battery system ($750-1,000+ back). If trailer parks in a rural-eligible lot (smaller towns outside SB proper), this is free money for your power setup.

### 5. Indiana Solar Tax Exemptions Tax Break

Benefits | • 100% property tax exemption on solar installations • 7% state sales tax exemption on solar equipment • 30% federal commercial solar ITC (Investment Tax Credit) — your LLC qualifies
Eligibility | Any Indiana business installing solar. LLC structure qualifies for commercial ITC.
Info | Indiana Solar Incentives 2026
Why use | If you add solar to the trailer, you get 30% back on federal taxes + no property/sales tax on the equipment. Stack with REAP for potentially 80% covered.

## Minority-Specific Loans (Low/Zero Interest)

### 6. Bankable — Indiana Black-Owned Business Loan Fund Loan

Amount | Up to $50,000 (low interest, some interest-free)
Eligibility | Indiana-based, Black-owned, unable to secure traditional bank loan
Extras | Free business development resources + Black Chamber of Commerce membership
Apply | bankable.org/loans
Info | Bankable Black-Owned Fund announcement
Why apply | Certified SBA microlender. Low barrier, designed for businesses like yours that are pre-traditional-bank. Good supplement or bridge to SBA loan.

### 7. Flagship Enterprise Capital — Indiana Black Owned Business Fund Loan

Amount | Up to $350,000 (through Bankable partnership)
Benefits | Lower rates, no fees, additional technical assistance, memberships to entrepreneurial support orgs
Info | flagshipenterprisecapital.org
Why apply | Larger loan option if SBA falls through or you need more capital. Same Black-owned qualification as Bankable.

### 8. IEDC Legend Fund (SSBCI) Loan

Amount | Part of $29M fund distributed through mission-driven local lenders
Eligibility | Indiana small business, historically underserved community
Info | iedc.in.gov/ssbci
Why apply | State-backed capital flowing through local CDFIs. You qualify on multiple fronts (minority-owned, pre-revenue startup). Ask Bankable — they may be a Legend Fund distributor.

## City Programs (South Bend Specific)

### 9. South Bend MWBE Inclusion Program Program

What | Helps minority/women-owned businesses access City contracting + procurement opportunities
Info | southbendin.gov — MWBE Program
Why join | Gets you in the city's vendor system + connected to other minority business owners. More for service/contracting but builds credibility and network.

### 10. South Bend Small Business Assistance Suite (SBAS) Program

What | Free cohort-based business development program — strengthens back-office systems, operational readiness, prepares for funding + public-sector contracting
Cost | Free to accepted participants
Info | southbendin.gov — Office of Diversity Business Development
Why join | Free coaching + structure + credibility. Good to do while building out T00-DRIP. Makes future grant applications stronger.

## Development Zones (Tax Incentives by Location)

### 11. Indiana Enterprise Zones Tax Break

Benefits | • Employee tax deduction • Employment expense credit • Loan interest credit • Investment cost credit
Eligibility | Business operating within a designated Enterprise Zone
Info | aiez.org — Association of Indiana Enterprise Zones
Why it matters | If T00-DRIP parks in an Enterprise Zone (check South Bend's zone map), you get state tax credits just for operating there. Factor this into location scouting.

### 12. Indiana Opportunity Zones Tax Break

Benefits | Federal capital gains tax deferral/reduction for investments in economically distressed areas
Coverage | 156 zones in Indiana — several in St. Joseph County / South Bend
Info | iedc.in.gov — Opportunity Zones
Why it matters | More relevant for investors or if you have capital gains to defer. Worth knowing for future expansion or if someone invests in your trailers.

## Additional Resources

Resource | URL | Notes
--- | --- | ---
Indiana grants for Black-owned businesses (curated list) | indyblackbusinesses.com/grants | Updated regularly, browse all
Women & Minority Business Indiana | womenandminoritybusiness.org | Aggregated grants, loans, counseling
Elevate Ventures (Indiana VC/grants) | elevateventures.com | High-growth focused — more for tech, but has minority programs
South Bend Incentives & Grants page | southbendin.gov — incentives | Full list of city programs
USDA all Indiana programs | rd.usda.gov — Indiana | Rural business, energy, community programs
IN.gov MWBE (state level — currently suspended) | in.gov/idoa/mwbe | Suspended by EO 26-17, monitor for reinstatement
ICSSBM Grant Program (Indiana Commission) | in.gov/icssbm | Partners with grassroots orgs to reduce barriers

## Recommended Funding Strategy

How to stack these programs for maximum benefit — do them in this order:

1. Week 1-2: File LLC + Get EIN
   You need the entity to exist before any application. File SnS Hospitality Group LLC on INBiz ($95), get EIN same day on IRS.gov.
2. Week 2-3: Apply to South Bend Opportunity Fund
   Easiest entry point. Gets you coaching + access to $1-30k loan. The coaching makes all other applications stronger. Apply here.
3. Week 2-3: Apply to Bankable Black-Owned Fund
   Up to $50k at low interest. Can run in parallel with Opportunity Fund. These are complementary, not competing. Apply here.
4. Week 3-4: Submit Flagstar BIPOC Grant — CLOSED (all awards distributed)
   Monitor Indiana Black Expo + Flagstar for future rounds.
5. Week 4-6: Apply for SBA Loan (traditional)
   With LLC formed, EIN in hand, business plan written, and Opportunity Fund coaching on your resume — you're a stronger applicant. Target $65-80k.
6. Month 2-3: USDA Business Builder — TERMINATED (July 2025, program killed by current admin)
   No longer available. Regional Food Business Centers shut down.
7. Month 3+: REAP Solar Grant (when ready to install)
   Apply once you know where T00-DRIP will park (need to confirm rural eligibility). Covers up to 50% of your solar/battery system. Stack with the 30% federal ITC for up to 80% covered.
8. Ongoing: Location scouting in Enterprise/Opportunity Zones
   Tell Kiowa to cross-reference her location list with the Enterprise Zone map. Parking in a zone = automatic tax credits on top of everything else.

Total potential capital stack (updated August 2026):
• Opportunity Fund: $30k (loan)
• Bankable: $50k (loan)
• Flagstar: $5k (grant) — CLOSED
• SBA: $65-80k (loan)
• USDA Business Builder: up to $100k (grant) — TERMINATED
• REAP + ITC: 80% of solar costs (grant + tax credit)
• EASSI (South Bend): solar/energy grant (inquiry sent)
Realistic target: $80-160k in loans + solar grants covering power system.
Focus: Opportunity Fund coaching → Bankable → SBA. Solar grants after location secured.

## Message to Team (Kiowa)

From: Sam | Date: August 5, 2026

Hey Kiowa,

I'm working on getting us funded. I put together a full research doc on every grant, loan, and program we qualify for — it's in the shared Drive.

Where to find it:

- Legal folder: Google Drive — Legal
- A copy is also in the Research folder

I sent you an email giving you access to the parent folder so you can see everything.

My focus right now: Task 1 from the funding strategy — filing the LLC and getting the EIN. Once that's done, we can start submitting applications.

Your part (when ready): Start thinking about locations. Some areas in South Bend are in "Enterprise Zones" which give us automatic tax credits just for operating there. When you're scouting parking lots, I'll share the zone map so we can cross-reference.

You'll have visibility of all deliverables in the shared Drive as things get filed.

— Sam