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Small business funding in Berkshire County
Berkshire County has more local funding than its size suggests, because several organizations exist specifically to serve it. 1Berkshire runs the regional marketing program and is the chamber for the whole county. The Berkshire Black Economic Council runs its own grant for Black-owned businesses and a professional development scholarship. Berkshire Grown pays consultants directly on behalf of member farms and food producers, including for grant writing. Berkshire Agricultural Ventures holds a USDA microloan award and runs a revolving loan fund for farms and food businesses. Greylock Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield is a certified community development financial institution, which most of its members do not know.
Berkshire businesses also benefit from being rural under state rules. Economic Development Incentive Program awards are lifted for rural and small-town projects, and North Adams and Pittsfield are Gateway Cities, which lifts them again. Two of the 48 Biz-M-Power awards announced by MassDevelopment in February 2026 went to a North Adams restaurant and a Sheffield farm. The programs below are a sample; the count underneath is everything else on file for a Berkshire business.
Programs for Berkshire County businesses
BBEC Professional Expertise Grant
Up to $1,500 for Black-owned Berkshire County businesses to pay for professional services: accounting and bookkeeping, web development, grant writing, graphic design, legal help, marketing or consulting. Reviewed on a rolling basis by BBEC.
Black Women Professional Development Scholarship
Up to $2,000 toward courses, certifications, training or other professional development for Black women in Berkshire County. Reviewed on a rolling basis, first come first served.
Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) Revolving Loan Fund
Loans of up to $50,000 at 0 to 4 percent interest for Berkshire-area farms and food businesses, including bridge financing for projects that state or federal programs will reimburse later. Five-year maximum term.
PVGrows Investment Fund
Financing from $1,000 to $250,000 for farms and local food businesses in the four western Massachusetts counties, with terms shaped to the business rather than a bank's template. Restaurants, bakeries and breweries qualify alongside farms.
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
USDA microloans of up to $50,000 at low interest, delivered locally by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures for working capital, equipment and improvements. You apply to BAV, not to USDA. Five-year maximum term.
more active programs for Berkshire County businesses, including 46 grants, 10 tax credits, 7 loans and financing, 12 rebates and 27 free resources and technical assistance. Tell FundBug what you do, where you are and who owns the business, and twice a month you get a digest of the ones you actually qualify for, with deadlines before they pass.
See what your business qualifies for →Common questions
Are there grants specifically for Berkshire County businesses?
Yes. The BBEC Professional Expertise Grant (up to $1,500, Black-owned businesses), Berkshire Grown's technical assistance program for farms and food producers, and 1Berkshire's marketing program are all county-specific, alongside loans from Berkshire Agricultural Ventures.
Where do I start if I have never applied for anything?
The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's Berkshire office in Pittsfield offers free, confidential advising and will tell you which programs fit before you spend time on an application.
Does Pittsfield have its own programs?
City-specific programs appear here when they are active. Pittsfield and North Adams businesses also get the Gateway City lift on state tax credit programs.
Stop finding out too late. Programs in Berkshire County open and close on their own schedules, and nobody sends a reminder. FundBug does.
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