I think that the company should definitely explore ways that they could take on that project if they really believe in its potential even if they don’t have the funding. For a small new company there are many different avenues they could go down to end up with the funding that they need. Small start-up companies can try to take out a loan if they are able or they could try to attract venture capitalists, angel investors, use crowdfunding sites such as kickstarter, obtain a small business grant, or even trading equity for funding. Even with these outside options this can be a risky way to fund your project and it should only be done if you really believe in your project and believe that it will generate enough business to be worth it.