Resource Library

SourceLink Nebraska, a statewide program administered by the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) at the University of Nebraska Omaha, provides connections to comprehensive support resources for business development and growth. Through its extensive network, the program facilitates access to valuable resources at local, state, and national levels. Entrepreneurs and business owners can utilize SourceLink Nebraska's detailed business guides, which outline critical steps for establishing and managing successful enterprises. Additionally, the program features an interactive events calendar that showcases networking opportunities and trainings, enabling business owners and entrepreneurs to enhance their skills and expand professional connections.

Catholic Charities provides a variety of services to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners. These services include training, technical assistance, financing, and networking opportunities for microbusinesses.

The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s REACH Program staff are available to assist local contractors at all stages of construction. The REACH Construction Industry Certificate program and other opportunities are designed to assist small, minority, and women owned businesses with technical assistance, trainings, bonding, bidding process, etc.

Heartland Workforce Solutions is an American Job Center and a non-profit workforce resource serving Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties. Our partners, programs and services are dedicated to strengthening the Nebraska workforce and connecting people to opportunities, whether you’re a career seeker or employer.

The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) is a statewide program that helps strengthen Nebraska businesses for a healthy economy and prosperous communities through its different sub-programs. The Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) program of NBDC is a resource for small business creation and expansion in Nebraska, offering confidential consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to start and grow their enterprises or to transition companies to the next generation of ownership. The APEX Accelerator program of NBDC is a resource for small businesses seeking to do business with the government through technical assistance with SAM registration, e-verify, understanding bids, and other government contracting-related services.

SCORE offers mentorship, online courses, webinars in every business topic. You can also find templates and guides that help you answer questions regarding business issues.

The Nebraska Enterprise Fund seeks to provide equitable capital to small and micro businesses. NEF staff are available to provide information about lending, training, and mentoring opportunities.

Omaha 100 is proud to provide small business owners with the flexibility and support to get the loan they need, when they need it. We offer access to competitive interest rates and flexible loan terms, with no prepayment penalties. We offer business loans in amounts up to $250,000, ensuring you’ll get the funding you need to launch, operate, or grow your business.

Projects far exceed the capacity of our region’s current pool of small-emerging construction businesses. We’ll take you through the process of becoming a certified small and emerging construction business in the City of Omaha.

UHCA’s mission is provide the necessary resources to strengthen the continued growth of our members while promoting the long-term success of Hispanic-owned construction businesses. UHCA provides members with education & training, job opportunities, business and networking events, consulting and advocacy.

CFRA supports entrepreneurs and small business owners through their educational training opportunities like the Construction academy offered in English and Spanish. They also have business loans for small businesses, technical assistance, mentoring and networking opportunities.

The City of Omaha’s Small and Emerging Small Business (SEB) Program and Equity and Inclusion programs seek to stimulate small business growth in areas experiencing high levels of poverty. The program supports small business participation in City contracts. Human Rights and Relations staff are available to provide applications and answer program questions.

Section 3 and Davis-Bacon compliance staff from the Omaha Housing Authority and the Omaha Planning Department are available to discuss federal contracting requirements. Qualifying businesses are encouraged to complete the Section 3 business certification application and OHA vendor application. Contractors also have the opportunity to learn more about certified payroll reporting.

GNWBC is a nonprofit organization that educates and supports entrepreneurs, both men and women, in their pursuit of successful business ownership through education and connections to resources for sustainable growth and development.

We’re dedicated to being a bridge between Nebraska entrepreneurs and their dreams of success! “

Lending Link seeks to end the repeated use of alternative financial services that target financially vulnerable individuals, keeping families in a perpetual cycle of debt and repayment and creating a major barrier to improved financial well-being.

Our vision is a community where everyone has access to safe, affordable financial products and services and the knowledge to use them well.

Second-stage growth companies are the backbone of Greater Omaha’s economy and the definition of economic growth and prosperity. These types of companies make a great investment, and are defined as having a proven product, proven market, proven management skills, and room to grow, typically ranging from 5-99 employees, and $1M - $50M in revenue.

Scaling Homegrown Innovation, an economic development pilot program designed to provide sophisticated, tailor-made technical assistance to local, second-stage companies poised for growth in the Greater Omaha region. Greater Omaha will be partnering with the National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG), a national organization that supports entrepreneurship.

The mission of the Veterans Business Outreach Center is to advance the growth and commercial competitiveness of veteran owned small business enterprises through education and services focusing on workforce improvement, technology deployment, and business development. VBOC serves transitioning service members, veterans of all eras, reservists, national guard members, and military spouses with programs and services to start, grow, and expand their small business.

Rural Prosperity Nebraska is the community development arm of Nebraska Extension and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Founded in 2018, Rural Prosperity Nebraska has one goal: to help Nebraska’s communities thrive. Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension educators team up your communities and local leaders with university faculty and students, combining research with on-the-ground experience, to bring prosperity to your front door. By exploring Rural Prosperity Nebraska’s four Focus Areas, you get to participate in collaborative programs to help you strengthen your community’s culture, create new economic and leadership opportunities, establish stronger ties to local foods, and turn your community into a place where people want to live, work, and play. Our Rural Tools offer resources to help you learn about improvement opportunities, plan and execute projects, and lead discussions that invigorate your community.

Code Black Professional Tech Network is a nonprofit organization developing a diverse community that is inclusive, informative, engaging, and a safe space for people interested in technology alongside experienced professionals. In this community, we facilitate training opportunities to expose participants to many technologies with the associated careers available to improve their quality of life.

The Nebraska Opportunity Exchange (NOE) is a statewide initiative led by the Urban League of Nebraska that helps small businesses—particularly underrepresented entrepreneurs—strengthen their infrastructure and become contract- and capital-ready. Through targeted training, technical assistance, and curated matchmaking with government and corporate procurement officers, NOE connects businesses with real opportunities and the tools they need to scale and grow across public and private markets.

Front Porch Investments is a nonprofit organization that provides gap financing for development projects preserving or creating new affordable housing units.  Financing is offered through the Development and Preservation (D&P) Fund, a fund with an innovative structure that allows for significantly lower interest rates on loans, making Front Porch an ideal partner for affordable housing projects that might otherwise face funding challenges.

By prioritizing support for projects led by emerging or diverse developers, the fund broadens access to resources across the community. Front Porch also manages an Innovation Fund, which is designed to foster new ideas, methods, and collaborations to address challenges in affordable housing. The Innovation Fund offers grants for community needs assessments, predevelopment, and field-building.

Founded in 2020, the Midlands African Chamber is a membership-based organization that exists to enhance the robust African and African American business climate in Nebraska and across the Midwest. All benefits, programs, and events of the Chamber are designed to give businesses the opportunity to make or save money, acquire knowledge and skills to help grow a network of successful entrepreneurs.