Mercer County's own programs, and their status on Oct 20, 2026
| Program | What it offers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Small Business Grant 2026 | $150,000 in ARPA funds for businesses affected by the Clarksville Road (CR 638) bridge closure, first come, first served | Deadline was June 1, 2026 |
| Trenton Revitalization Investment Fund (T-RIF), Capital City Redevelopment Corporation | Up to $600,000 per real estate project, $1.75 million total; $200,000 minimum private investment | Proposals accepted since Jan 12, 2026; Capital District only |
People also search for a "Mercer County revolving loan fund". The county's financing page did not list one when we read it on Oct 20, 2026 [6]. It does list NJEDA's Small Business Fund (up to $500,000), Direct Loans (up to $2 million) and the Main Street Acquisition Support Grant (up to $50,000 in reimbursements toward buying commercial property) [6]. Check each on NJEDA's site for current status before you plan around it.
Trenton: the UEZ, the Capital District fund and the 504 lender named for the city
ZIP codes with a Trenton mailing address held 4,331 establishments in 2023, though those ZIPs also take in parts of Hamilton and Ewing [2]. Trenton borrowers took 47 SBA 7(a) loans worth $29.1 million from FY2024 to June 2026, at a median of $266,400 [1]. Landscapers and child care centers were the most common types, with 3 each [1].
Trenton is Mercer's only Urban Enterprise Zone town, run through the city's Department of Housing and Economic Development at 319 E. State Street [7]. A certified business may charge 3.3125% sales tax, half the normal rate, on qualifying sales [8]. Seven of Mercer's eight 2018 Opportunity Zone tracts are in Trenton; the eighth is in Hamilton [9].
One more Trenton name matters to any owner buying a building. Trenton Business Assistance Corporation, a Certified Development Company, made 155 SBA 504 loans worth $273.1 million across New Jersey from FY2024 to June 2026, more than any other 504 lender in the state [1]. Only 5 of those were on Mercer projects [1].
Health care practices lead Mercer's SBA borrowing: a worked example
Health care and social assistance took 35 of Mercer's SBA loans, worth $22.3 million, just ahead of food service (34) and professional services (33) [1]. Child care centers (7), mental health practitioners (5), outpatient mental health centers (4) and dentists (4) led the group, and its median loan was $300,000 [1]. Mercer had 836 ambulatory health care establishments in 2023 [2].
$300,000 SBA 7(a) loan for a Mercer practice, 10 years
Loans from $250,001 to $350,000 have a lower cap than smaller loans: the base rate plus 4.5% [3]. With prime at 7.00% on Oct 20, 2026 [4], that cap is 11.5%.
At the cap, $300,000 over 10 years costs $4,217.86 a month and $206,143.60 in total interest. A lower quote cuts both. Guaranty fees and closing costs are added on top.
Who lends in Mercer, and where the loans went
| Lender | Loans | Median loan |
|---|---|---|
| TD Bank | 30 | $50,000 |
| M&T Bank | 21 | $25,000 |
| Northeast Bank | 17 | $150,000 |
| Newtek Bank | 16 | $212,500 |
| Huntington National Bank | 14 | $347,500 |
| Live Oak Banking Company | 12 | $500,000 |
By town, Trenton led with 47 loans, then Princeton (43), Hamilton (23), Ewing (21), Lawrence Township (20) and East Windsor (17) [1]. Mercer's 9,683 establishments in 2023 included 1,540 professional, scientific and technical firms, more than its 1,179 retail locations [2].
Card processing for Mercer County practices and shops
Mercer's card business leans toward health care as well as retail: 172 dentist offices and 313 physician offices sat alongside 1,179 retailers and 707 restaurants in 2023 [2]. Patient balances are larger tickets than a lunch, and they are often paid by card at checkout or by phone later.
On a $300 dental balance, Square's in-person 2.6% + 15¢ [12] is $7.95. If the patient uses a debit card from a large bank, Regulation II caps that bank's interchange at 21¢ plus 0.05% of the sale [11], 36¢ on $300. At this size the percent is nearly the whole fee, so a practice with steady volume should compare interchange-plus quotes.
Thinking of a credit card surcharge on patient bills? New Jersey's P.L.2023, c.146 allows no more than your actual cost to process the card [10]. Read our credit card processing fees explainer and run a recent statement through the fee analyzer.
Free help in Mercer County
The NJSBDC at The College of New Jersey sits in Mercer itself, at Trenton Hall, 2000 Pennington Avenue, Ewing, (609) 789-8364, and serves Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Mercer [5]. If timing rules out an SBA loan, compare a term loan, a line of credit or equipment financing for imaging or dental gear. A merchant cash advance is a purchase of future receivables, not a loan, and usually costs the most. Batch Capital can compare them after the quiz.