For entrepreneurs
How to apply for a loan and mentoring
Apply to The Solutions Lab
Applications
Thank you for your interest in The Solutions Lab. We are currently working with our first group of entrepreneurs and are not accepting new applications at this time. You can download the application below and begin preparing now so you’re ready when we reopen.
The Year 1 pilot is designed to support 3 to 5 entrepreneurs, scaling as the loan fund and social capital program grow.
The application comes in two versions: a slide template (PowerPoint) and a written form (Word). They ask the same questions, so you only need to submit one. You may also apply by video or audio recording, or by talking through your answers with our team. To ask about these options or request an accommodation, contact us at robert@thesolutions-lab.org.
Once you submit an application, The Solutions Lab team will review it. Applicants who appear to be a good fit will be referred to our Investment Review Committee for a final decision. We may contact you for more information or to clarify something you submitted.
Who we’re looking for
Entrepreneurs with disabilities building businesses that last
- You are a person with a disability pursuing self-employment.
- Your business is at the idea stage or already in operation.
- Your business is designed to provide real, sustained employment for you and your team, rather than rapid scaling.
- A cash injection would give your business an immediate growth opportunity, and you have a clear plan to use it.
We especially want to reach entrepreneurs in mid-size communities and rural areas, where both financial and social capital are hard to find.
How selection works
We look at readiness and potential, not your credit history
Selection is based on three things:
- Capital-readiness: whether you’re ready to put a loan to good use
- Immediate impact: how the capital would help your business right away
- Long-term potential: how your business can keep providing work over time
Underwriting is flexible, and funding decisions are made by a five-member steering committee.
The process
What happens after you apply
Apply and get selected
Tell us about your business and how you’d use the capital.
Get capital-ready
Design thinking, financial literacy, business-plan development, and benefits navigation prepare you to use funding well.
Get funded
A patient, flexible loan of $5,000 to $50,000 at 4% to 5%, with no equity taken.
Sustain and connect
Ongoing mentoring, peer cohorts, and community networking continue well past the loan.
Get ready now
What to think about before applications open
- What your business does, and who it serves
- How much capital you need, up to $50,000
- A clear plan for how you would use it, such as equipment, facility upgrades, trainings and certifications, website and IT upgrades, or inventory
- How the loan would help your business grow and keep providing work
Benefits navigation
Worried about how growth affects your benefits?
Rising income can put benefits like Medicaid, SSI, or SSDI at risk. The Solutions Lab provides benefits navigation services so you can understand the growth of your business in the context of managing eligibility for benefits.