Verified September 23, 2026. FHLBank Indianapolis is accepting 2026 Elevate Small Business Grant applications through participating FHLBI members. The program supports eligible for-profit small businesses headquartered in Indiana or Michigan with business growth, expansion, workforce development, equipment, technology, inventory, and related eligible needs.
Funding
An eligible FHLBank Indianapolis member may submit either one application for up to $20,000 or two applications for up to $10,000 each, with a maximum of $20,000 per participating member. FHLBank Indianapolis has allocated $2.1 million to the 2026 Elevate program.
Eligibility
The business must be for-profit; headquartered in Indiana or Michigan; under its current ownership for at least 12 months before the October 1, 2026 due date, meaning on or before October 1, 2025; and have 2025 annual gross revenue greater than $20,000 and no more than $1,000,000. Residential projects, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities are not eligible. A business that received an Elevate award in 2021 or later is not eligible for the 2026 round.
Eligible uses
Published eligible uses include purchase or improvement of property; machinery, tools, and equipment; workforce development and training; technology enhancements; and inventory, materials, and supplies. Rent, utilities, debt payments, salaries, wages, stipends, benefits, and residential property are not eligible uses. Eligible expenses must be incurred from September 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.
Program priority requirement
Every application must satisfy at least one program priority: housing-industry trades; member involvement; public presence; or community enhancement. The member-involvement priority requires the sponsoring FHLBank Indianapolis member to provide a matching grant equal to at least 10% of the requested Elevate amount. That match is a priority pathway, not a universal requirement when another qualifying priority is used.
Submission and timing
The sponsoring FHLBank Indianapolis member must submit the complete signed application in FHLBI.GIVES on behalf of the eligible business. The required member Master Agreement and registration was due September 4, 2026. Applications opened September 7 and are due October 1, 2026, with award announcements scheduled for October 22. The official page and program guide reviewed do not publish an exact October 1 closing clock time or time zone, so Atlas must not infer one.
Atlas fit and direct-business pathway
Atlas Opportunity Score: 93/100. N9+ Fit: 76/100 conditional. QC Healthcare Fit: 78/100 conditional. The program expressly allows equipment, technology enhancements, and inventory/materials, creating a potentially strong fit for an eligible healthcare or health-technology small business. However, this is not yet a verified Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare direct opportunity because private eligibility facts, prior-award history, the required program-priority pathway, and an eligible sponsoring FHLBank Indianapolis member that completed the September 4 registration gate have not been verified. Do not auto-submit in Marc’s name. Ordinary third-party INITIAL OUTREACH must not introduce or sell N9+.
Required next action
For a Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare pursuit, Marc’s decision is required only after verifying that the business satisfies every published eligibility requirement and that a sponsoring FHLBank Indianapolis member already completed the September 4 registration requirement and is willing to submit the application. If those facts cannot be verified, fail closed. Before any ORIGINAL outreach to another business, verify the business is eligible, has a viable participating member sponsor, clear the verified business Contact, Email_Opt_Out, permanent hard-bounce, Account/Contact/Deal/Atlas_Email_Queue, and authoritative send-history gates, and keep N9+ out of ordinary initial outreach.
Authoritative sources
FHLBank Indianapolis Elevate Small Business Grant; 2026 Elevate Small Business Grant Program Guidelines.