AI grants and SBA help for South Carolina small businesses

What the SBA will not send you

On the SBA grants page, read October 16, 2026, the first bullets say: “SBA does not provide grants for starting and expanding a business.” The same list says SBA provides grants to nonprofits, Resource Partners, and educational organizations for counseling and training. It also says SBA only communicates from email addresses ending in @sba.gov, and that anything else should be treated as possible fraud. The page is sba.gov/funding-programs/grants.

That page does name two research programs, SBIR and STTR, for small businesses that do scientific research and development. It does not list a general “AI grant” for a shop, a restaurant, or a contractor.

The same page’s STEP directory lists a South Carolina row. The FY24 total grant amount shown is $325,000 and the FY23 amount is $250,000, with project director Carla Edwards and phone 803-609-9946. Those totals are awards to the state entity, not a check the SBA mails to a store. The page says an established business contacts the state representative.

SCRA, for technology companies

The South Carolina Research Authority’s grant page, read October 16, 2026, says member companies may apply for non-dilutive grants, and that membership qualifies a company for consideration and does not guarantee approval. The Startup Grant is listed as up to $25K, for early-stage companies, on a rolling basis. The Acceleration Grant is up to $50K. A Federal Matching Grant, formerly SBIR/STTR Phase I, is up to $50K for South Carolina startups that already received a federal grant. The page is scra.org/get-support/get-startup-funding.

The Tech Catalyst Fund on that page is for SC-based startups developing healthcare solutions. The application window printed there is May 27 through June 25, 2026. This page does not say that window is still open.Directory entries that record a $25,000 SCRA startup grant, each with its own source, are LouLou AI, Atapic, Thrive Data, and Renoverse AI. Those are startup awards to those companies. They are not a program a retail shop applies to on the same form.

A covered tool, not a cash grant

Charleston County and Palmetto Goodwill are connecting small businesses with an AI platform called GoodBiz.AI. The directory result, from a Live 5 News report, says partners are covering the cost for up to 250 local businesses for two years. That is a covered subscription in the story, not an SBA grant. The story is live5news.com, September 14, 2026.

Free counseling in the area

The SC Small Business Development Centers homepage, read October 16, 2026, says the centers offer free, private consulting, resources, and seminars. It also prints network figures and the line “updated 5.27.2026”: in the past five years, more than 13,400 SC entrepreneurs, more than 9,650 jobs created or retained, the startup of 1,150+ new ventures, $437 million in capital formation, and more than $76 million in government contracts. Those are the network’s own statewide figures, not a Charleston count. scsbdc.com.

The locations page the same day lists Charleston Area SBDC at 6296 Rivers Ave., Suite 300, North Charleston, SC 29406, phone 843.740.6160, email strangbc@mailbox.sc.edu. scsbdc.com/locations. That page does not list an AI class.

SCORE Charleston’s chapter page, read October 16, 2026, says mentoring is always free, for the life of your business. The address on the page is 4045 Bridge View Drive, B151, North Charleston, SC 29405, and the phone is (800) 634-0245. The upcoming events on that page include a free online session, “What Should I Know Before Applying for a Grant?”, on November 10, 2026, at 12:00 pm EST. score.org/sc/charleston-sc.