Small Business Grants and Funding Opportunities
You need money to make money, the saying goes.
Whether it’s a bank loan, investment, self-funding or reinvesting profits, knowing where to find cash is critical for small business owners, especially those that are just starting out or are dealing with narrow operating margins.
One particularly enticing form of funding is a small business grant. Unlike a loan or investment, small business grants from government agencies, philanthropic organizations and large corporations, typically aren’t meant to be repaid. That’s right: small business grants are essentially free money.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t strings attached. Government grants in particular can require recipients to thoroughly document how they’re using the funds to make sure they’re complying with the terms of the grant.
Still, others have few to no strings attached, with sums ranging from a few hundred dollars to $10,000 or more to help entrepreneurs with whatever aspect of their business they need.
We’re keeping close track of the small business funding landscape. This list of active small business grants will be updated regularly as new funding opportunities are announced. So check back regularly to stay on top of the latest small business grants.
You can learn more about how to fund your small business in our business funding hub.
Private small business grants
General small business grants
The Awesome Foundation: This global network funds “awesome” projects through monthly $1,000 micro-grants from its local chapters around the world. The funds come out of pockets of the chapter’s “trustees” and are given on a rolling basis to people and groups working on awesome projects. There are no strings attached to these funds, which are meant to support a wide range of ideas in technology, community development, the arts, and more.
The Freed Fellowship: Each month, the Freed Fellowship awards $500 to an up-and-running small business to invest in their operations. Awardees also become eligible to vie for a $2,500 year-end grant. Beyond funding, recipients of the $500 grant also get two months of free virtual mentoring through the fellowship’s online community of entrepreneurs and business owners, the Freed Studio.
Faire Small Business Grant. If you’re a new small business owner looking to fill your shelves, the Faire Small Business Grant is for you. The grant provides $5,000 in credit for qualified new retail businesses from the wholesaler Faire.com. Applicants need to be retailers based in the U.S. who have either started their within the past year or have plans to open this year. Grant awardees must use the funds within six months of receiving funding. The deadline for the current round if funding is June 30, 2025.
Skip Instant Grants: Skip, an online funding marketplace, awards $1,000 Instant Grants once or twice a week. Open to all U.S.-based entrepreneurs (not just Skip members), winners are selected live on YouTube. In order to qualify, applicants need to download the Skip App to receive their grant entry and pin number, then attend the YouTube live drawing to see if their number is drawn. The instant grants page can be accessed from the Skip dashboard on their website.
Amazon Small Business Grants: Each year, Amazon awards grants to U.S. small businesses who are existing Amazon Business customers and have annual revenues of $1 million or less. In 2025, Amazon is awarding a $25,000 grand prize, as well as four awards of $20,000 and 10 awards of $15,000. Applications are being accepted until May 23.
Start.Pivot.Grow Microgrants: This support organization for entrepreneurs offers a $2,500 micro grant each quarter to a small business to help cover essential expenses and invest in growth opportunities. Eligible companies must be based in the U.S. and have been in business for at least two years, with annual revenue of $50,000 or more.
Secretsos Small Business Grant: Once a quarter, the business intelligence organization Secretsos awards a $2,500 grant to a U.S.-based entrepreneur either just starting out or looking to accelerate growth in their business. The grant recipient has full control over how they use the funds. Applicants just need to provide details about their business, what makes them unique and how they would utilize the funds, plus pay a $15 application fee.
NASE Growth Grant: If you’re a member of the National Association for the Self-Employed, you can vie for one of the organization’s quarterly Growth Grants, which offers up to $4,000 in funding for small businesses for marketing, hiring part-time help, upgrading equipment and more. NASE memberships are $120 annually or $11.95 monthly.
Small business disaster recovery grants
DoorDash Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund: DoorDash and Hello Alice have teamed up to help restaurant owners recovering from a declared disaster with $10,000 grants. Applications for the current round of funding are open through May 30, 2025. Eligible recipients must operate a brick-and-mortar restaurant, own no more than three locations with less than 50 employees at each location, and have revenues of $3 million or less at each location.
Etsy Emergency Relief Fund: Through a partnership between Etsy and the non-profit CERF+, Etsy business owners who live in an area where a natural disaster has been declared by the federal government are eligible for $2,000 emergency relief grants. The grants are issued quarterly to Etsy owners with accounts that have been in good standing for at least a year, to help their business recover following emergencies.
Small Business Readiness for Resiliency Program: This funding opportunity is a partnership between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and several corporate sponsors that aims to increase the chances for small businesses to receive disaster recovery funds from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency if a natural disaster hits their area. The Chamber’s Small Business Readiness for Resiliency helps small businesses create natural disaster preparedness plans. Applicants who complete the four-step disaster resiliency process become eligible for FEMA grant funding if a natural disaster is declared in their county.
Veteran-led small business grants
Hivers and Strivers: U.S. veteran-owned or led businesses have a chance to qualify for up to $1 million courtesy of the angel investment group Hivers and Strivers. Businesses that depend on government contracts are not eligible, but other qualified businesses can apply to get an idea or existing small business funded. Grants range from $250,000 to $1 million, which the organization awards on a rolling basis. Owners must answer a variety of questions about their business or idea for their application to be accepted.
Woman and minority small business grants
Honeycomb x Sengo Spark Grant: The online small business investment platforms Honeycomb Credit and Sengo are partnering to provide a total of $5,000 to three underrepresented and community-driven entrepreneurs in the early stages of getting their idea off the ground. The $3,000 grand prize is awarded to a Sengo subscriber (membership costs $15 per month). But two $1,000 grants are available to any applicant and can be used to cover startup costs like launching a product, hiring an employee or paying rent. The application period ends July 8, 2025.
Hustler’s Microgrant: This monthly $1,000 micro-grant is offered by HerSuiteSpot, an organization that seeks to expand opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs. But U.S.-based small businesses of all kinds are welcome to apply for funding. Applicants just need to answer a few questions about their business and how they would use the funds, as well as pay a $15 application fee.
Wish Local Empowerment Program: The online shopping app Wish is in the process of disbursing $2 million in support funds to Black-owned small businesses. Recipients will receive grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 to support their operations. There are no strings attached to how the funds are used, though Wish encourages recipients to use the funds to keep their workforce employed, pay rent, operation or inventory costs, or connect with new customers.
Galaxy Grants: Galaxy of Stars and Hidden Star, a pair of organizations supporting underserved entrepreneurs, has opened its $3,500 Galaxy Grant Giveaway to women and minority entrepreneurs. Applications take as little as 30 seconds to complete, and can be used any way an owners needs to run or grow their business. Applicants can enter through June 30, 2025, with winners announced the next week. You can also refer a friend for the grant or have them refer you, in which case both could potentially receive $3,500 grants if they’re selected.
The Big Idea Grant: YippityDoo, a women’s small business mentorship program, awards $1,000 each month to a woman entrepreneur to invest in their business or idea. Woman-owned businesses that have already launched or are just in the idea stage can apply. Grant awardees also get access to an online wealth mindset coaching group run by YippityDoo to support their venture’s growth.
Cartier Women’s Initiative: This funding opportunity for women entrepreneurs awards thousands of dollars in grant funding for owners whose businesses promote environmental or social impact in their communities. Cartier’s regional awards will be given to three businesses each in nine different global regions, while its Science & Technology Pioneer Award honors women-driven innovation in science and technology. Awardees will receive grants of up to $100,000, as well as a variety of support services. To qualify, businesses need to be early stage, for-profit entities that are majority woman-owned. Their work must also align with at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Applications close June 24, 2025.
HerRise MicroGrant: This monthly $1,000 grant from HerSuiteSpot is specifically for women entrepreneurs. Eligible businesses must be 51% or more owned by women, currently registered in the U.S. and make less than $1 million in gross revenue. Winners are revealed during each month’s HerSuiteSpot First Friday Mixer, though applicants don’t need to be present to be selected.
Backing Historic Small Restaurants 2025 grants: Sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this grant opportunity will provide $50,000 grants to 50 owners of independent restaurants with historical significance in their areas. In order to qualify for funding, restaurants need to demonstrate that their small businesses contribute to the history and/or identity of its neighborhood. They also need to show that they face ongoing economic challenges. Applications are being accepted through May 30, 2025.
Government grants and resources
Grants.gov: This is the primary online portal managed by the Department of Health and Human Services where federal agencies post discretionary funding opportunities. It centralizes over 1,000 grant programs, allowing businesses and organizations to find and apply for federal grants in one location, streamlining the application process.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): A key federal agency created to “aid, counsel, assist, and protect” the interests of small businesses. The SBA helps entrepreneurs start, grow, expand, and recover through various programs including loan guarantees, counseling via partners like SBDCs, federal contracting assistance, and disaster relief, aiming to strengthen the overall U.S. economy.
Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs): A national network, often hosted by universities and state economic development agencies and partially funded by the SBA, providing counseling and training to small businesses. SBDCs offer confidential, no-cost advising on business planning, financial management, marketing, access to capital, and other support for startups and existing businesses.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program: A competitive federal grant program encouraging U.S. small businesses (≤500 employees) to engage in federal Research/Research and Development (R&D) with potential for commercialization. Managed by the SBA but implemented across 11 federal agencies, it funds projects related to agency missions, aiming to stimulate technological innovation.
State Trade Expansion Program (STEP): An SBA-funded grant program administered at the state level to help small businesses enter and expand into international markets. Funds can typically be used for export-related activities like participating in foreign trade missions, designing international marketing materials, or obtaining export training, helping businesses increase export sales.
Minority Business Development Agency: A U.S. Department of Commerce agency focused on promoting the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises (MBEs). MBDA achieves this through a network of Business Centers providing strategic consulting to help minority entrepreneurs access capital, contracts, and new markets.
Economic Development Administration: Part of the Department of Commerce, the EDA provides grants and technical assistance to communities to support locally-driven economic development strategies. While often funding infrastructure or planning, it also supports initiatives like Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs) that provide gap financing to local small businesses.
USDA Rural Development Business Programs: The USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service offers various programs to support economic development and job creation in rural areas. This can include grants and loans often channeled through local utilities or intermediaries for business expansion, infrastructure improvements, and enhancing access to capital for rural entrepreneurs.
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund: Part of the U.S. Department of Treasury, the CDFI Fund invests in and supports a national network of CDFIs (community development lenders, investors, etc.). Its mission is to expand economic opportunity for underserved people and communities by increasing the capacity of these local institutions to provide financial products and services.
Elon Glucklich
Elon is a marketing specialist at Palo Alto Software who works with small business owners, consultants and advisors. He's also a freelance business journalist with over a decade of reporting experience. He has Master of Business Administration from the University of Oregon.
