Grant Programs

Minnesota's cannabis law established several grant programs that provide funding for technical assistance, financial capital, and workforce training for Minnesota’s new legal cannabis industry.

Please check this website and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) websites for updates.

These grants are available through OCM's Division of Social Equity:

• CanGrow provides grants to eligible organizations to help farmers navigate the regulatory structure of the legal cannabis industry and to nonprofits to fund loans to farmers for expansion in the legal cannabis industry. The requests for proposals are now open. Visit the CanGrow grant webpage to learn how to apply. 
• CanRenew provides grants to eligible organizations for investments in communities where long-term residents are eligible to be social equity applicants. 

These grants are available through DEED.

• CanStartUp is a loan program available to new cannabis microbusinesses. DEED will award funds to nonprofit corporations through a competition grant program; the selected nonprofit will use the funds to provide loans to eligible cannabis microbusinesses, with priority given to social equity applicants.
• CanNavigate awards grants to eligible organizations to help people navigate the regulatory structure of the legal cannabis industry and develop technical assistance resources or navigation services to individuals.
• CanTrain awards grants to eligible organizations to develop and implement a workforce development program that will provide support, navigation services, and training to people interested in a career in the legal cannabis industry.

• Dual Training Grant: Legal Cannabis Industry provides grants to eligible applicants for the related instruction expenses of their employees who are in dual-training programs resulting in industry-recognized degrees, certificates, or credentials. A dual-training program pairs on-the-job training with formal related instruction.