Small Businesses Grants for 2023
**updated 2/23/2023
Grants for small businesses looking to grow or needing assistance are now available to apply! Below are various small business grants for businesses located in New York, the United States and worldwide. Many grants are available for women-owned and minority-owned businesses as well. Good luck!
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GRANT PROGRAMS
Barclays Small Business Contest
Small business ownership can be rewarding, challenging, liberating — a meaningful way to live out your dreams, or play an important role in your community. What’s your small business story? Tell us how you’re making that dream a reality. What motivates you? How do you make it happen every day? Winning stories will receive one of 60 cash prizes starting at $2,000, with a Grand Prize of $60,000. Hurry! The deadline to apply is February 28, 2023!
The FedEx® Small Business Grant Contest
Ten grand prize winners receive $30,000 each, plus: $1,000 print credit at FedEx Office; access to FedEx premier customer service; sustainable packaging consultation; digital sales consultation; 20% off SEO monthly plan with HigherVisibility; mentor matching with Entrepreneurs’ Organization; and much more! Hurry to apply, the deadline is February 21, 2023.
Amber Grant
WomensNet founded the “Amber Grant” in 1998. The grant was set up with one goal in mind: to honor the memory of a very special young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at just 19 years old — before realizing her business dreams. Today, WomensNet carries on that tradition, proudly giving away at least $30,000 every month in Amber Grant money. In recognition of the diversity of businesses owned by women, we’ve also expanded our grant-giving to include “Marketing Grants,” “Business Category Grants,” as well as two “$25,000 Year End Grants.”
National Association for the Self-Employed
NASE members can receive up to $4,000 for their small business through the NASE Growth Grants program. Since 2006, the NASE has awarded nearly $1,000,000 to members through the Growth Grants program by providing small business grants. Grants can be used for marketing, advertising, hiring employees, expanding facilities and other specific business needs.
Fearless Strivers Grant Contest
Fearless Fund is deepening its commitment to this community with the launch of the 2023 Fearless Strivers Grant Contest. With Mastercard prizing, we’ll be awarding four lucky small businesses across the country with $20,000 grants, digital tools to help them grow their business online, and mentorship so they can continue to bolster their business. There are four entry periods throughout the year. Don’t miss your opportunity to apply! The contest is open to black women who are legal U.S. residents (including DC), 18+ and the principal owner of a U.S.-based small business. Ends 8/31/23.
Hidden Star Grant
Apply for a $3,250 grant for your woman-owned business. This grant opportunity is available through March 8th, 2023 (International Women’s Day). Any and all small business owners are encouraged to apply! Our mission is to help minority and women entrepreneurs succeed. Refer a friend and double your chances of winning with their entry. If they win, YOU BOTH WIN! Winner(s) will be announced a week after the deadline via email as well as on our social media pages.
Power Forward Small Business Grant
The Power Forward Small Business Grant program aims to create a lasting impact through the economic empowerment of Black-owned small businesses across New England. Through a combined commitment of $1 million, Vistaprint and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation are teaming up with the NAACP to award transformative grants of $25,000 on a rolling basis. Through this initiative, grant recipients will have opportunities to be featured on national co-branded platforms along with receiving marketing and design resources customized to their specific needs to help their business grow and thrive. Qualified applicants must be Black-owned small businesses with 1 to 25 employees and be based and operating in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, or select areas of Connecticut.
SoGal Black Founder Startup Grant
SoGal Foundation has teamed up with Winky Lux, bluemercury, twelveNYC, Twilio, Walmart.org’s Center for Racial Equity and other sponsors to make a small step towards progress by providing several $10K and $5K cash grants to Black women or nonbinary entrepreneurs. To qualify, you should: self-identify as a Black woman or Black nonbinary entrepreneur (inclusive of multiracial Black women and multiracial Black nonbinary folks); have a legally registered business; plan to seek investor financing in order to scale, now or in the future; and have a scalable, high-impact solution or idea with the ambition to be the next billion dollar business.
NEW YORK GRANT PROGRAMS
New York State Seed Funding Grant Program
The New York State Seed Funding Grant Program was created to provide assistance to early-stage small businesses to succeed in a recovering New York State economy.
For firms that have already filed a Federal Tax Return for operations: Businesses with $5,000 and up to $49,999.99 in gross receipts: Award is $5,000/business; Businesses with $50,000 – $99,999.99 in gross receipts: Award is $10,000/business; Businesses with $100,000 – $1,000,000 in gross receipts: Award is 10% of Gross receipts with a maximum grant amount of $25,000/business.
For firms that have NOT filed a Federal Tax Return for operations thus far: Award is $5,000/business.
Dream Big,
La Shawn, Small Business Warrior