Is the LLC filing fee different in each Texas county?

No. The Texas LLC filing fee is a flat $300 paid to the Texas Secretary of State, statewide. Counties do not charge a different fee for the Certificate of Formation (Form 205).

What actually varies by Texas county then?

Assumed name (DBA) filing fees at the county clerk, local business license or registration requirements in certain cities, and any county clerk recording fees if you file additional documents locally. The Secretary of State fee itself does not vary.

Should I pick a county just because it is cheap?

Cost matters, but venue, tax nexus, and where you actually do business matter more. A small upfront savings on a DBA fee can be erased many times over by filing in a county that is not aligned with where your customers, revenue, and lawsuits will actually sit.

Texas Small Business Grants 2026: The Complete Funding Guide for Texas LLCs

Published 2026-05-01

A specialty-fabrication shop owner outside Lubbock applied for a $75,000 Texas Workforce Commission Skills Development Fund grant to retrain three employees on a new CNC platform. He had a Texas LLC, an EIN, and seven years of operating history. His application was kicked back because his Texas Workforce Commission account did not include his Public Information Report, which Texas franchise-tax law requires Texas LLCs to file annually under Tex. Tax Code § 171.203. Once he filed the missing PIR (it took him 20 minutes), reapplied, and the grant funded six weeks later. The grant was not the obstacle. His state-level documentation hygiene was.

Texas runs one of the largest portfolios of state and federal small-business funding programs in the country. This guide walks through what is actually available in 2026 for Texas small businesses and Texas LLCs and what you need in place before you apply.

Why your Texas entity matters before you apply

Most grant and loan programs require a formally-registered legal entity. Texas-specific programs typically require Texas domicile or, at minimum, a foreign LLC registration if the entity was formed elsewhere. The Texas Business Organizations Code, codified at Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 101 et seq., governs Texas LLCs. Section 9.001 governs registration of foreign entities.

A correctly-formed Texas LLC, with a current Public Information Report and franchise-tax filing under Tex. Tax Code § 171, is the threshold. Beyond that, programs look at your Company Agreement, your EIN, your bank documentation, and (for federal programs) your beneficial ownership records.

Federal funding sources for Texas businesses

Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs

The SBA does not generally hand out grants directly to for-profit businesses. It guarantees loans through partner lenders. Texas has the largest SBA-preferred lender network in the country.

7(a) Loan Program. Up to $5 million for working capital, equipment, real estate.
504 Loan Program. Larger fixed-asset purchases, often used for owner-occupied commercial real estate.
Microloans. Up to $50,000 for newer and smaller businesses, administered through Texas-based intermediaries.
Disaster Loans. Texas, particularly Gulf Coast counties, has frequent SBA disaster loan deployments after hurricanes and severe-weather events.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans.

SBIR and STTR grants

The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs are competitive grants administered through eleven federal agencies. Phase I awards typically range from $50,000 to $275,000; Phase II awards can exceed $1 million. Texas-based applicants in aerospace (Houston, Austin), oil and gas technology, semiconductors, and biotechnology have strong track records.

Source: SBIR.gov, https://www.sbir.gov.

Texas SBDC Network

The four regional Texas SBDC networks (North Texas, South-West Texas Border, University of Houston, Northwest Texas) collectively serve every county in Texas. They offer free advising, financial-projection support, and grant-application review. The Texas SBDC is the single most useful resource for any Texas founder preparing a federal grant application.

Source: Texas SBDC, https://www.americassbdc.org/find-your-sbdc.

SCORE Texas

The SBA-affiliated nonprofit volunteer mentor network. Free mentoring and workshops. Active chapters in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and across the state.

Texas-specific funding programs

Texas Enterprise Fund

The state's deal-closing economic development program, administered by the Office of the Governor. Discretionary cash grants for businesses creating substantial new jobs in Texas.

Source: Office of the Texas Governor, Economic Development & Tourism, https://gov.texas.gov/business.

Texas Workforce Commission

Several programs tied to workforce training and skill development:

Skills Development Fund. Customized job-training grants for Texas employers.
Self-Sufficiency Fund. Job-training grants for businesses hiring Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients.
Skills for Small Business. Job-training grants for small Texas businesses (under 100 employees).

Source: Texas Workforce Commission, https://www.twc.texas.gov.

Texas Department of Agriculture

For Texas businesses tied to agriculture or food production:

GO TEXAN Marketing Program. Branding and promotional support for Texas-grown and Texas-made products.
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. USDA-funded grants administered by TDA for fruit, vegetable, and nursery operations.

Texas Veterans Commission Entrepreneur Program

Funding and resource navigation for veteran-owned Texas businesses.

USDA Rural Development (Texas)

Texas has more rural land area than any other state. USDA programs are widely available:

Rural Business Development Grants
Business and Industry Loan Guarantees
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)

Source: USDA Rural Development, https://www.rd.usda.gov/tx.

City and county programs

Texas's larger cities and counties run their own small-business programs:

City of Austin Small Business Program. Grants, loans, and technical assistance.
City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity. Procurement-focused support, grants for certified small businesses.
City of Dallas Office of Economic Development. Grants tied to job creation and revitalization zones.
City of San Antonio LiftFund Partnership. Microlending and grant programs.

Private grants and foundations

National programs open to Texas applicants:

Amber Grant. Monthly and annual grants for women entrepreneurs.
NASE Growth Grants. Small grants for National Association for the Self-Employed members.
FedEx Small Business Grant Contest. Annual competition with grants up to $50,000.
Comcast RISE. Grants and marketing support for businesses owned by people of color.
Grants.gov. The central clearinghouse for all federal grant listings, https://www.grants.gov.

What you need in place before you apply

The baseline package:

Certificate of Formation. Your Texas Secretary of State filing.
Active franchise-tax status. Annual Public Information Report and franchise-tax return current under Tex. Tax Code § 171.
EIN confirmation. From the IRS.
Company Agreement. A real one, not a template.
Business plan. Three-year revenue and expense projections, market analysis, use of funds.
Financial statements. Year-to-date and prior-year if available.
Bank statements. Typically the last three to six months.
DUNS number and SAM.gov registration. Required for any federal grant application.

The single most common reason applications are rejected is incomplete documentation, not weak ideas. Mark Kohler, the CPA and small-business attorney, has written on the document-package gap repeatedly. (Mark Kohler, https://markjkohler.com.)

Tips that move applications from "submitted" to "funded"

Read the eligibility requirements line by line.
Match the application's tone to the program's stated mission. A Skills Development Fund application reads differently than an SBIR Phase I narrative.
Show traction. Even a small revenue history beats a polished projection without customers.
Get a second set of eyes from your local Texas SBDC or a SCORE mentor before submitting.
Apply to multiple programs simultaneously where eligibility allows.
Keep your franchise-tax filings current. Texas grant programs that pull state records will see lapsed filings immediately.

Why your LLC structure affects what you can win

Some grants require specific entity types or certifications (HUB, women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, B-corp). The way your Texas LLC is structured, member-managed vs manager-managed, single-member vs multi-member, can change which certifications you qualify for. Garrett Sutton, the Sutton Law Center attorney who has written extensively on Texas LLC structure, has noted how the entity decision compounds when grants are tied to specific certifications. (Sutton Law, https://www.sutlaw.com.)

If you are operating in Texas without a formal entity, that is the place to start. We are a registered agent and LLC formation service for Texas. We file with the Texas Secretary of State, serve as your registered agent, and prepare a substantive Texas Company Agreement that holds up under the kind of due diligence a serious grant program will run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there grants specifically for Texas small businesses?

Yes. Texas offers state-specific funding through the Texas Enterprise Fund, the Texas Workforce Commission Skills Development Fund and Skills for Small Business, the Texas Department of Agriculture, and the Texas Veterans Commission. City and county programs in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio are also available. Federal programs like SBIR, SBA loans, and SCORE mentorship are open to Texas LLCs.

Do I need a Texas LLC to apply for small business grants?

Most state programs require Texas domicile or a foreign LLC registration under Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 9.001. Federal programs require a registered business entity but do not require Texas specifically.

What is the Texas Enterprise Fund?

The Texas Enterprise Fund is a discretionary cash-grant program administered by the Office of the Governor for businesses creating substantial new Texas jobs. Award sizes vary by job-creation commitment.

Do Texas businesses qualify for USDA Rural Development grants?

Yes. Texas has more rural land than any other state, which makes a wide swath of Texas businesses eligible for Rural Business Development Grants, Business and Industry Loan Guarantees, and the Rural Energy for America Program.

What is the difference between an SBA loan and an SBA grant?

The SBA rarely awards grants directly to for-profit businesses. It guarantees loans through partner lenders. Targeted grant programs exist for research and development (SBIR), exporting, and disaster recovery, but the broader funding mechanism is loan guarantee, not grant.

Can I apply for grants before forming my Texas LLC?

Most programs require a formed entity with an EIN. Forming the LLC first is almost always faster than searching for a program that accepts pre-formation applicants.

Disclosure: We cite Mark Kohler and Garrett Sutton (Sutton Law) as industry voices we follow. We have no business relationship with either. Their materials are referenced for educational purposes; we do not represent that they endorse, sponsor, or are affiliated with our service. Readers should consult licensed counsel and a CPA for advice specific to their situation.

We are a registered agent and LLC formation service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. The information on this page is for educational purposes only.