This quick-reference guide outlines GroundBreak Coalition’s core capital products for entrepreneurs, real estate developers, and homebuyers across the metropolitan region. Each product is designed to remove systemic barriers to capital, especially for Black individuals and other low-wealth communities historically excluded from wealth-building opportunities. In partnership with trusted Origination Partners, these tools provide flexible, affordable financing paired with technical assistance to ensure participants can start, grow, and sustain their ventures or homes. 

Below is a summary of the purpose, expected results, eligibility criteria, and key terms for each product, along with partner contact information, so coalition members and stakeholders can confidently share our resources with their networks.

1. Product Purpose: Provide early stage, growth capital to low-wealth entrepreneurs, including, but not limited to Black entrepreneurs, who historically have faced barriers to accessing such capital from conventional lenders and ‘friends and family’.  
2. Expected Results: Entrepreneurs build wealth, unlock additional private capital, scale their ventures, improve credit, create jobs, and foster broader economic growth and opportunity in the Greater MSP region 
3. Key Product Points: 

• Must be a for-profit company, legally registered and operating in the Minneapolis-St. Paul seven-county metropolitan region (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties)
• The business must have:
• Progressed beyond the “idea” or “business plan” stage and 
• Have established business operations through revenue generation, establishment of a user/customer base, or similar operational metric, and
• Exhibited and articulated tangible intentions to grow their business (such as hiring employees).
• Interest-only loans may be up to $50,000; issued in two, $25,000 installments.
• Loans must have a minimum term of three years and a maximum term of five years.
• Interest on loans is 1 percent per annum, payable at least annually.
• Proceeds may be used for business expenses identified by the borrower as critical to the operational stability and growth of the business. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, inventory costs, equipment purchases, working capital, business expansion costs, such as marketing and scaling operations, and other necessary operational expenses.
• Funds cannot be used for real estate acquisition (except under the Re-Seed Program), or personal expenses like education and medical costs.
• The second $25,000 installment may be disbursed once the borrower has secured at least an additional $25,000 from third party sources. At that time, as long as borrower is current on all interest-only payments then due and owing, the balance on the first loan installment will be forgiven.  
• All loans may be forgiven at the end of the loan term as long all interest-only payments then due and owing have been paid in full.

4. Origination Partners

1. Product Purpose: Provide low-cost, patient subordinate debt to unlock senior financial institution debt for commercial real estate projects sponsored by low-wealth developers, including, but not limited to Black developers, who historically have faced barriers to accessing sufficient senior debt from conventional lenders and time to stabilize projects. 
2. Expected Results: Developers build wealth through completion of community-oriented, neighborhood development projects. A streamlined financing system is established for the region that reliably blends senior debt from financial institutions for 60 percent of the costs, GroundBreak subordinate debt for 35 percent of costs; and owner/developer equity for the remaining 5 percent of costs.
3. Key Product Points: 

• Must be a for-profit development company, legal registered and operating in the Minneapolis-St. Paul seven county metro area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties)
• Project cannot be more than 50% owner occupied
• Projects must be between $50,000 and $10 million in total project cost
• GroundBreak capital cannot finance more than 35% of the total project cost
• GroundBreak capital must unlock senior debt provided by private capital

1. Product Purpose: Provide up to $45K in downpayment assistance for low-wealth, first-time homebuyers who have historically faced barriers to accessing home loans including but not limited to Black homebuyers. Provide $5K Home preservation stipend upon completion of two (2) homeowner counseling sessions.
2. Expected Results: Low-wealth households build wealth through homeownership by having the resources to afford to purchase a home with a responsible home loan and sufficient downpayment assistance. 
3. Key Product Points: 

• Must be a first time homebuyer currently residing in the seven county metro area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties)
• Per partner program guidelines, assistance is available for homebuyers who self-identify their race as African American/Black, were born in the United States, and were descendants of enslaved people in the United States.
• $20k is forgiven over five years and $25k is repayable when the homeowner sells/transfers/refinances their home.

 4. Origination Partners: