⏰ Estimated read time: 19 minutes
Business grants offer free money that can help Black women grow or even launch a business. Although that may sound appealing, small-business grant contests tend to have short application windows and lots of competition for relatively small amounts of funding, so it’s important to tap other resources, too.
In this list, we’ve rounded up lots of business grants open to Black women. Some are open to other entrepreneurs, too. If a program is currently closed to applications, take note of requirements and sign up to be notified when it reopens. You’ll also find organizations that help Black women business owners win government contracts, pitch investors or find other funding opportunities.
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1. HerRise Micro-Grant
The HerRise Micro-Grant program awards $1,000 per month to a small business owned by a woman of color. The grant is a program of the Yva Jourdan Foundation, the nonprofit arm of HerSuiteSpot. Applications close on the last day of each month. To qualify, your business must be at least 51% owned by a woman of color.
2. Wish Local Empowerment Program Grant
The Wish Local Empowerment Program offers grants between $500 and $2,000 to Black business owners. In order to be eligible, applicants must own a brick-and-mortar storefront in the U.S., must be over the age of 18, must have 20 or fewer employees and must have an average annual revenue of less than $1 million.
3. Galaxy Grant
Galaxy of Stars is a grant program run by Hidden Star, a nonprofit that helps women and minority entrepreneurs. Grants are open to women and people of color who run or are planning to start a business and who are U.S. residents. Applications are accepted until June 30, 2024.
4. Corporate Counsel Women of Color Grants
The Corporate Counsel Women of Color awards five $2,500 grants to women of color business owners each year. To be eligible, your business must have been established as of January 1, 2020, it must be a U.S.-based, for-profit business and it must have generated more than $25,000 in revenue since its inception. Submissions are accepted in a rolling basis, from January 2024 to January 2025.
5. The Amber Grant Foundation
The Amber Grant Foundation awards three monthly grants of $10,000 to female entrepreneurs. If you’re awarded one of the $10,000 monthly grants, you will also be in the running to win one of Amber Grant Foundation’s yearly $25,000 grants.
To apply, you’ll fill out a short form on the Amber Grant website, where you’ll tell the organization about your business idea and how you would spend your grant funds. Note that you’ll have to pay a $15 application fee.
6. The Freed Fellowship
Each month, a small business owner is awarded a $500 micro-grant and a free 30-minute business coaching session from the Freed Fellowship. Monthly winners will also be eligible for a year-end $2,500 grant.
7. NASE Growth Grants
Founded in 1981, the National Association for the Self-Employed, (NASE) is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and microbusinesses. Its grant program awards NASE members up to $4,000 to finance a particular need, whether that’s buying equipment, hiring staff, launching a marketing plan or making another approved purchase.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year, and the organization awards one grant per month. To apply for an NASE Growth Grant, you’ll need to join NASE and remain in good standing with the organization for at least three months.
8. NAACP Backing the B.A.R grant
A partnership between the NAACP and Bacardi, the Backing the B.A.R. grant is open to Black entrepreneurs who own restaurants, bars, nightclubs, lounges or liquor stores. Ten businesses will receive $10,000 grants. Applications are accepted from April 15 - May 24, 2024.
9. Comcast RISE Investment Fund
The Comcast RISE grant targets different cities with each funding cycle. In each new city, the program awards $5,000 grants. To apply, you must have been in business for at least three years and have 100 or fewer employees. This grant program was originally open exclusively to people of color and women, but has since expanded to all small business owners. Applications are currently open from May 1 - 31, 2024, for businesses located in the following areas: Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Jacksonville, FL; Richmond, VA and Southern Colorado.
10. Amazon Small Business Grants
This annual grant program from Amazon awards a $25,000 grant to one small-business owner and $20,000 grants to four finalists. Additionally 10 semi-finalists receive $15,000 grants. To be eligible, you must be an Amazon Business customer, with no more than $1 million in annual revenue. The latest application window closes on May 24, 2024.
11. Glossier Grant Program
Now in its fourth year, the Glossier Grant program is open to Black-owned beauty brands. This year, four businesses will receive $50,000 grants, and one previous winner will get a $100,000 Alumni Award. The application deadline in June 1, 2024.
12. National Black Business Pitch
The National Black Business Pitch competition awards grants up to $10,000 to three businesses. To be eligible, your business must be Black-owned and U.S. based. The deadline to apply is June 3, 2024.
13. EBay Up & Running Grant
Black female entrepreneurs who sell on eBay may be eligible for this grant program. Fifty businesses will receive $10,000 grants. To be eligible, you must have been an eBay seller since at least Dec. 1, 2023 and you cannot have received one of these grants previously. Applications are open until June 7, 2024.
14. Jobber Grants
These grants are open to home service-related businesses. Fifteen home service professionals will receive $10,000 grants through this program. Applications are accepted through June 12, 2024.
15. Founders First CDC Job Creators Grant
This accelerator program is open to businesses in the Pennsylvania/NJ, Texas and Southern California areas. To be eligible, businesses must be owned by someone who identifies as one of the following groups: Black, Latinx, Asian, women, LGBTQ+ or veterans. Additional requirements include employing at least three people, being in business for at least three years and an annual business revenue between $75,000 and $3 million. Ten businesses in each area will be selected to receive $5,000 grants, and will be given access to up to $250,000 in forgivable loans. Pre-registration will be open now.
16. Progressive Driving Small Business Forward Grant
A collaboration between Progressive and Hello Alice, the Progressive Driving Small Business Forward Grant will award $50,000 to 20 businesses that have a demonstrated need for a commercial vehicle. To be eligible, your business must employ 10 or fewer people and have annual revenues below $5 million. Applications are open from April 29 - June 14, 2024. The winners will be announced in August.
17. Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant
Businesses that are active users of Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready program are eligible for this grant. Verizon says that 51% of businesses using the Small Business Digital Ready platform are women-owned and 62% are Black- or Hispanic-owned. Winners will receive $10,000 grants. Applications close on June 28, 2024.
18. She's Connected by AT&T
Launched in 2020, the She's Connected by AT&T grant awards $20,000 to one grand prize winner. To be eligible, your business must be woman-owned, have no more than 50 employees and be registered in the U.S. Applications for the current cycle are open from March 31 - July 10, 2024.
19. The Transform Business Grant
The Transform Business Grant is open to business owners from systemically oppressed backgrounds. BIPOC individuals, individuals with disabilities, queer, trans and nonbinary individuals, as well as formerly incarcerated individuals are all eligible to apply. Each grantee receives a $1,000 microgrant. The next application window is open from Sept. 15-30.
20. Brown Girl Jane x Shea Moisture Grant
Originally launched in 2020, this grant is a collaboration between Brown Girl Jane, a plant-based beauty brand and Shea Moisture. It awards grants between $10,000 and $25,000, and is open to Black- and women-owned beauty businesses that have been in operation for at least one year. The next application cycle opens in fall 2024.
21. Texas Rural Woman Grant
The Texas Rural Woman Grant is run by the Texas Woman's University's Center for Women Entrepreneurs. To be eligible, your business must be at least 51% woman-owned and located in a rural area in Texas. The next cycle will be open from May 28 - July 5, 2024. This year's grant amount has not yet been announced.
22. StartHER Grant
Another grant from the Texas Woman's University's Center for Women Entrepreneurs, the StartHER Grant program awards $5,000 grants to 25 Texas-based women business owners. Applications for the next cycle will be accepted from Sept. 3 - Oct. 4, 2024.
23. Invest in Progress Grant
A partnership between the Boss Network and Hello Alice, the Invest in Progress Grant is open to Black women entrepreneurs. In addition to one year of mentorship, recipients will be awarded a $10,000 grant. Applications are closed for 2024.
24. Black History Makers Grant
Now in its fourth year, the Black History Makers program from Citi Trends awards $5,000 grants to 10 Black entrepreneurs. Applications are closed for 2024.
25. Kitty Fund Grant Program
The Kitty Fund is open to business owners who are mothers. To be eligible to apply, your business must have been in operation for at least one year, must employ between two and 100 people and must generate no more than $5 million in revenue. Applications are closed for 2024.
26. REI Navigate Program
The REI Navigate Program is a four-month entrepreneurial program open to outdoor-related businesses with at least one founder who identifies as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American or Pacific Islander. In addition to mentorship and programming, participants receive a $25,000 grant. Application dates have not yet been announced for 2024.
27. NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant
A collaboration between the NAACP, the Shark Group and Medium Rare, the NAACP Powership Entrepreneur Grant awards $25,000 to select Black-owned businesses annually. Winners will also receive mentorship and free resources. Dates for the 2024 grant cycle have not been announced yet.
28. TL Effect
TL Effect is a mentorship program hosted by ThirdLove. Launched in 2020, this program is open to women of color business owners. Each year, one recipient will be awarded a $25,000 business grant. Additional prizes include business mentorship and financial advice from ThirdLove founders. Applications for the next cycle are expected to open in 2024.
29. Female Founder Collective x FounderMade Innovation Giveaway
This $10,000 grant competition is open to businesses that are at least 51% women-owned and are in the food and beverage, wellness or beauty industries. Additionally, businesses must be direct-to-consumer and product-based.
30. Enthuse Foundation Women Founder's Pitch Competition
The Enthuse Foundation's annual pitch competition awards $10,000 to one grand-prize winner, while the runner-up will get a $5,000 grant. To be eligible, your business must be at least 51% woman-owned; in the food, beverage or consumer package goods industry and your company's lifetime revenue may not exceed $500,000.
31. Fearless Strivers Grant Initiative
The Fearless Strivers Grant Initiative, administered in collaboration with Mastercard, awards $20,000 grants to four businesses nationwide. In addition to funding, winners get one-on-one mentorship and access to digital tools. Applicants must be Black women, U.S. citizens and over the age of 18.
32. NAACP & Leslie's Inc. Certification Boost Grant
Food businesses that are at least 51% owned by a person of color and/or a woman and/or a person with a disability may be eligible to apply for this grant program, which is a partnership between NAACP and Leslie's Inc. Your business must be headquartered in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia or Texas. Applications for the 2024 cycle are not currently open.
33. Black Women in Food Grant
Presented by the Black Women in Food Initiative and funded by UberEats and EatOkra, the Black Women in Food Grant awards $10,000 to 10 food businesses each year. To be eligible, your business must be at least 51% Black woman owned and must be on UberEats. Applications for the 2024 cycle are not currently open.
34. Publish Her's Business Impact Grant
For the past six years, Publish Her, a female-founded independent publisher, has awarded a $5,000 Business Impact Grant to a woman of color business owner. To qualify, you must be over 21 and a U.S. resident. Your business must have been in operation for at least one year, be 100% woman owned and generate at least $50,000 in revenue. Applications are currently closed.
35. Pepper Startup Grant
The Pepper Startup Grant program is open to Black women or nonbinary business owners. Other eligibility requirements for this $5,000 grant include that you must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. resident, plus your business must not have raised more than $500,000 in equity financing. Applications for the 2024 cycle are not currently open.
36. The Startup Collective by Aveeno Pitch Competition
Started in 2021, the Startup Collective by Aveeno hosts an annual pitch competition, which is open to Black female entrepreneurs in the Black haircare or skincare space. To apply, you must submit a short video about yourself and your business, as well as a brief essay outlining your business strategy. One winner receives a $100,000 grant.
37. National Black MBA Association Scale-Up Pitch Challenge
Founded in 2017, the Scale-Up Pitch Challenge, presented by the National Black MBA Association, invites 10 finalists to compete in a pitch challenge each year. One grand-prize winner will be awarded $50,000 in non-dilutive funding, the second-place winner will receive $10,000 and the third-place winner will get $7,500. One business owner will receive the People's Choice $1,000 award. To be eligible, businesses must have at least one Black founder who has "equal stake" in the company and one member of the pitch challenge team must belong to the National Black MBA Association. Annual membership fees range from $15 to $200, depending on eligibility. Applications for the 2024 cycle are not currently open.
38. DigitalUndivided's Breakthrough Program
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase's Advancing Black Pathways, DigitalUndivided's Breakthrough Program is open to Black and/or Latina women. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, your business must have been registered for at least one year and generate a minimum of $50,000 in annual revenue. Selected winners will receive a $5,000 grant, a business mentor and access to DigitalUndivided's community of Black and Latina women entrepreneurs.
39. Power Forward Small Business Grant
A collaboration between VistaPrint, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the NAACP, the Power Forward Small Business Grant awards $500,000 in grants to Black-owned small businesses in the New England area. To be eligible, your business must employ between two and 25 people (including the owner), and be located in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont or select parts of Connecticut. Each winner will receive a $25,000 grant. Applications for the 2024 cycle are not currently open.
40. Tory Burch Foundation's Women of Color Grant Program
A partnership between the Fearless Foundation and the Tory Burch Foundation, the Women of Color Grant Program awards $10,000 - $20,000 grants to up to 75 businesses that are owned by women of color. To be eligible, businesses must be 51% woman of color-owned. Applications for the 2024 cycle are not currently open.
41. Cartier Women's Initiative's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from Cartier Women's Initiative is open to entrepreneurs whose business focuses on closing access and opportunity gaps for underserved communities. To be eligible, your business must be a for-profit operation that was incorporated at least six years ago and has not raised more than $2 million in dilutive funding. The next Awards ceremony will be held in May 2024. The first-place winners receive $100,000 grants, second-place winners get $60,000 grants and third-place winners get $30,000 grants.
42. The Black Ambition Prize
The Black Ambition Prize is open to Black and Hispanic individuals in the process of creating early-stage ventures in one of the following categories: consumer products and services; healthcare; media and entertainment; technology; and web 3.0. One grand prize winner is awarded $1,000,000, and 15 additional teams win between $15,000 and $250,000. Applications for the latest cycle closed on May 6, 2024.
43. Veteran Woman Grant
Open to Texas female small-business owners who are also veterans, the Veteran Woman Grant awards five $5,000 grants annually. A businesses must be at least 51% veteran-owned to be eligible. The 2024 cycle is now closed.
44. The Coramino Fund
The Coramino Fund is an annual grant program open to Black and Latinx business owners. Fifty small businesses receive grants up to $10,000. To be eligible, your business must have been in operation for five years or fewer, and must employ no more than 30 people.
IFundWomen
IFundWomen, or IFW, helps female and female-identifying founders of any race or ethnicity find capital through crowdfunding and assists with coaching, networking and grant opportunities. The organization's grants hub aggregates grant opportunities for women with up-to-date application deadlines.
Amazon Black Business Accelerator
Black business owners with an Amazon Professional Seller account can sign up for the Black Business Accelerator program. Businesses will receive a $500 credit toward startup and operational costs for their Amazon Seller account; up to $3,000 in advertising credits; and a $1,000 Buy with Prime credit to offer shoppers fast, free shipping. Free business education, coaching and onboarding support are also offered.
Minority Business Development Agency
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is a federal agency that supports the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in the U.S. Much like the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA, the MBDA has locations across the country where minority entrepreneurs can seek financial assistance and business consulting.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is a portal where federal agencies offering grant programs — specifically for minority-owned businesses and otherwise — post information about their offerings, including eligibility requirements, funding amounts and application deadlines. You can look for a grant according to several search criteria, including your industry and the sponsoring federal agency.
SBA 8(a) Business Development Program
The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program is an assistance program that aids “economically and socially disadvantaged business owners” in securing government contracts.
Each year, the federal government aims to dedicate 5% of its annual contracting budget to small businesses that are owned and operated by underrepresented entrepreneurs via the SBA 8(a) federal contracting program. The Business Development Program provides entrepreneurs the support they need to win those contracts, including receiving one-on-one advising.
Female Founders Fund
If you’re a tech entrepreneur seeking early-stage funding opportunities, consider pitching the Female Founders Fund. The FFF invests in business-to-business, consumer, fintech and health care businesses that have at least one female founding member, and it primarily focuses on investing in seed-stage businesses. The fund averages six to eight investments per year, with investments ranging from $500,000 to $750,000.
BGV Emerging Leaders Fellowship
The Black Girl Ventures Emerging Leaders Fellowship program is open to women small-business owners who live in one of the following cities: Austin, Texas; Chicago; Los Angeles or New York City. Your business must have been operation for at least one year and must be revenue generating. Program participants receive $5,000 stipends and participate in a 12-week virtual development program. The application window closes on March 11, 2024, and the program runs from April 1 - June 20, 2024.
Sephora Accelerate
This annual incubator program is for beauty industry founders who are people of color. The next six-month program runs from January to June 2024. Selected participants will gain skills to help them build and run a successful beauty business.
Women’s Business Centers
Nationwide, there are more than 100 SBA Women’s Business Centers. Though most don’t make grants, they can help women business owners with coaching, classes and finding capital.
Business grants aren’t the right fit for every company. With their short application windows, relatively small funding amounts and competitive judging processes, grants can be limiting.
Check out our lists of the best business loans for women and best business loans for minorities as you look for financing. Consider these other funding options for your business, too:
SBA microloans: These loans of up to $50,000 are backed by the U.S. government and issued by nonprofit community financial institutions. Many microlenders offer training and other resources, which can be valuable to business owners. They also may be easier to qualify for than other types of financing if you’re a new or very small business.
Crowdfunding: Some businesses are able to raise money from customers and supporters — whether they know them or not. There are a variety of crowdfunding campaigns, from donation-based support to investments that you promise to pay back as your business grows, so you can choose one that’s right for you.
Business credit cards: Credit cards can be useful for most businesses that are up and running because they let you keep up with everyday expenses even when your cash flow is uneven. You may be able to find a card that rewards your spending, too.
Peer-to-peer business loans: Funding for P2P loans can come from crowdfunding platforms like Kiva as well as well-established institutional investors. In general, though, they can be easier to qualify for than bank loans for new or small businesses.
Business lines of credit: A line of credit may be a good choice if you need six figures in financing or more. These loans operate similar to credit cards: You borrow what you need to spend, pay your debt down over time, then borrow again up to your limit. Lines of credit may require at least a year in business to apply for, though.
Fund your dreams with a small-business loan
If grants aren't available for your business right now, check out NerdWallet's picks for the best small-business loans and compare your options.
A version of this article originally appeared on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.
