Free Small Business Help in Colorado: Every SBDC and SCORE Office by Region

If you’re starting or running a small business in Colorado, you can get free, one-on-one help from experienced advisors. Most founders don’t know it exists. Colorado’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network has 14 regional centers covering every county, and the advising is no-cost. Volunteer SCORE mentors and several specialized centers fill in the gaps.

This guide shows which center serves your county, what they can help with, and where to go if you need something more specialized.

What an SBDC can help with

The Colorado SBDC is the state’s accredited network for entrepreneurs and small businesses, led from OEDIT in Denver and hosted locally by colleges, cities and economic development groups. Its centers offer:

• No-cost advising with a network of about 300 business experts, in person or virtual, usually by appointment.
• Workshops and training on business plans, marketing, finance, hiring and more (some training carries a fee, so check before you register).
• Statewide programs such as Leading Edge for startups, SBDC TechSource for science and technology companies, manufacturing resources and business recovery help.
• Help with funding: preparing for a loan, understanding grants and incentives, and connecting to lenders.

It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at. Advisors work with people who have an idea and nothing else, as well as businesses that have been open for decades.

Find your SBDC by region

Denver metro and the Front Range

• Denver Metro SBDC: Denver and Jefferson counties, hosted by Red Rocks Community College.
• Aurora-South Metro SBDC: Arapahoe and Douglas counties, hosted by the City of Aurora.
• North Metro Denver SBDC: Adams and Broomfield counties, hosted by Front Range Community College.
• Boulder SBDC: Boulder County, hosted by the City of Boulder.

Northern Colorado

• Larimer SBDC: Larimer County, hosted by Front Range Community College.
• Weld County is served by the East Colorado SBDC (below).

Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region

• Pikes Peak SBDC: El Paso and Teller counties, hosted by the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.

Southern Colorado

• Southern Colorado SBDC: Pueblo, Custer, Fremont and Huerfano counties, hosted by Pueblo Community College.
• San Luis Valley SBDC: Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties, hosted by Adams State University.

The Eastern Plains

• East Colorado SBDC: the largest territory in the state, covering 20 counties from Weld, Logan and Yuma in the north to Baca, Prowers and Las Animas in the south.

The mountains and Western Slope

• Northwest SBDC: Clear Creek, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt and Summit counties, hosted by Eagle County.
• Central Mountain SBDC: Chaffee, Lake and Park counties.
• Mesa County SBDC: Mesa County, hosted by the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center.
• West Central Colorado SBDC: Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties, hosted by Region 10 in Montrose.
• Southwest Colorado SBDC: Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties and the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes, hosted by Fort Lewis College in Durango.

Not sure which one is yours? Any center will point you to the right office, or browse the directory by region.

SCORE: free mentoring from experienced business owners

SCORE is a nonprofit partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Its volunteer mentors are current and retired business owners and executives, and mentoring is free, in person or online.

• SCORE Denver
• SCORE Southern Colorado, based in Colorado Springs

SBDC advisors and SCORE mentors work well together. An SBDC is strong on structured advising and training, and a SCORE mentor can stay with you as an ongoing sounding board.

Specialized free help

• Not sure where to start? The OEDIT Small Business Navigator is the state’s first point of contact for founders and small business owners, and it will route you to the right program.
• Veterans and military spouses: the Colorado Veterans Business Outreach Center in Colorado Springs.
• Minority-owned businesses: the Denver MBDA Business Center, and Denver’s Minority Business Office for minority, women and veteran entrepreneurs.
• Women and low-income founders: Mi Casa Women’s Business Center in Denver.
• Federal programs, certifications and disaster help: the SBA Colorado District Office.

How to get the most from a free advisor

1. Book early. Don’t wait until you need a loan next week. Advisors help most when they can see your plan before you commit money.
2. Bring one specific question. “Is my pricing right?” or “Am I ready for a bank loan?” gets you further than “Can you look at my business?”
3. Bring your numbers, even rough ones: what you’ve spent, what you expect to sell, and what you need.
4. Ask who else you should meet. Advisors know the local lenders, grant programs, accelerators and economic development staff in their region.

Frequently asked questions

Is the SBDC really free? One-on-one advising is no-cost. Some workshops and training programs carry a fee, which the center will tell you before you register.

Do I need a registered business to get help? No. SBDCs and SCORE work with people at the idea stage too.

What’s the difference between an SBDC and SCORE? SBDCs are run with state and federal funding and staffed by professional advisors, with training programs attached. SCORE is a volunteer mentoring network. Both are free to use, and many founders use both.

Can an SBDC help me find funding? Yes. They help you prepare for loans and grants and know which local lenders and programs fit your situation. See our guide to Colorado small business grants.

More free help across Colorado

The directory lists 126 economic development and support organizations, from local chambers to workforce centers. Browse SBDCs and other support.

Run one of these centers? Claim your listing to keep your details up to date.