Business Grants For Women
On top of all the grants weve looked at so far, there are several grants and resources specifically for small women-owned businesses.
I encourage you to visit your local Womens Business Centers if possible there are over 100 across the United States. They will be able to point you towards additional grant options or help you find alternative funding methods.
To become eligible, you first need to win a local InnovateHer challenge to qualify for the national competition.
Any type of business is eligible to compete, but those geared towards women and their social problems typically do best.
State And Regional Small Business Grants
State governments also offer funds to small business owners. You can search for these grants online or by contacting your states economic development office.
- Economic Development Administration : The EDAwhich is a part of the U.S. Department of Commercefunds regional and national economic development projects.
- Small Business Development Centers : If you need help finding a small business grant in your state or region, contact your local SBDC.
Business Grants Vs Business Loans
Small business grants have one major advantage over business loans: You dont have to pay back a grant. A loan, on the other hand, has to be paid back with interest, which can be tough on new businesses and businesses with cash flow struggles. However, qualifying for a small business grant is also tough, so you may need to explore more traditional small business financing options that can work for you.
Two business loan options to consider if you cant qualify for a grant funding for your small business are microloans and SBA loans.
Microloans are loans under $50,000, and usually have low eligibility requirements and reasonable interest rates. Many of the same organizations that provide grants, such as nonprofits and government organizations, also provide microloans. So, if you dont qualify for a small business grant, we suggest asking the organization if they provide loans.
SBA loans are another alternative if youre unable to qualify for a grant. The federal government guarantees SBA loans and works with banks to get these loans in the hands of small business owners. Because of this, SBA loans have low interest rates, long repayment terms, and larger capital amounts. You can approach your local bank and see if they provide SBA loans, or you can apply for an SBA loan through Fundera.
See Your Business Loan Options
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Faade Grants Will Help Existing Businesses As Startup Funding Attracts Entrepreneurs To City
Webinar scheduled for Friday, September 23, at 2 p.m. Register at
SCRANTON, PA. The City of Scranton will open grant applications on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, for two programs designed to help small businesses with a total of $1.75 million in funding. Grants are available as a portion of the Citys total $68.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Small businesses and locally owned businesses are the backbone of Scrantons economy, said Mayor Paige G. Cognetti. With our partners across the City, these grant programs will help renovate storefronts and invite entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams without leaving their hometown.
Scranton has allocated $1.25 million in ARPA funds for business startup grants. Awards are available for up to five percent of the total startup or expansion costs between $6,000 and $100,000. Business franchises are not eligible. The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania will help review applications.
New ARPA grants are in addition to existing City programs including the Community Development Block Grant Small Business Micro-Grant program and the Housing and Urban Development Loan-to-Grant program.
ARPA funding is also available for business façade improvements. Scranton will partner with three key organizations to oversee $500,000 in grants for the revitalization of neighborhood and downtown businesses across the City:
No Federal Grants For Businesses
The federal government does not offer grants for starting or growing a business. It only provides grants for nonprofit and educational institutions. These organizations focus mainly on medicine, technology development, and other related fields. Find out more about federal grants.Some state and local programs offer business grants. They usually require you to match the funds. Or, they may expect you to combine the grant with other forms of financing, such as a loan.
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Federal Small Business Grants
The federal government awards billions of dollars in funds each year to small businesses that engage in work that benefit the public, such as infrastructure and scientific research projects. You can find federal small business grants by visiting Grants.gov.
- SBIR and STTR Programs: These programs offer federal funds to small businesses that engage in scientific and technological research and development that has the potential to be commercialized. To qualify, a business must operate for a profit and have no more than 500 employees.
- U.S. Department of Energy Grants: The DOE announced on Oct. 18, 2021 it set aside $105 million for small businesses that invest in clean energy research and development. Funding will be administered by DOEs Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research programs . You can find more details on the DOEs funding opportunities page.
- National Institute of Health Grants: The NIH offers numerous grants to small businesses that engage in biomedical and behavioral research. There are thousands of grants available on its grants and funding page.
When searching for federal small business grants, keep in mind that the federal government doesnt offer free money to individuals to start a business. If a website promises to give you free money from the government, its likely a scam.
Devon And Somerset Mobile Boost Scheme
Connecting Devon and Somersets Mobile Boost scheme, has been designed to help small businesses and households who currently have good outdoor but poor indoor mobile coverage.
The initiative, which is being funded through the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnerships Growth Deal, aims to improve the quality of mobile phone calls and connectivity. Its targeting small businesses and households in rural communities who currently have inadequate coverage, or have access to only one provider and are currently struggling with connectivity.
Businesses and households can apply for a voucher of up to £1,200 towards the cost of a mobile signal booster from a registered supplier. The value of the voucher will be dependent on the type of technology most suitable for the premises.
There are now three options of equipment available these are a 4G booster and two models of signal repeaters which repeat the outdoor signal indoors. Suppliers will be able to advise on the most appropriate option.
Businesses and residents applying through the scheme will be required to make a contribution to cover the cost of installation. Depending on the option chosen, this will range from a one-off fee from around £200 to a monthly fee for a SIM card .
Go-Create Grants are offered as part of the Innovation Support for Business Phase 2 programme. Go-Create Grants are available on a competitive basis from £1,000 to £50,000 and are available to eligible small and medium-sized Enterprises .
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Big House Elevator Grant
SMEs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire can apply for Elevator grants to support business growth. They must be in creative or digital industries , though.
Theyll put 30 per cent towards the project spend, between £1,050 and £2,250. You must be able to stump up the cash for your side of the deal and you cant use any additional loans or grants to pay for your project.
Quick Tips For Getting More Grants
There are a lot of simple things you can do to improve your chances of winning grants. Most are easy to understand, but you need to make sure you keep them in mind.
Learn all about other useful ways to finance your business with our Small Business Financing Guide.
Heres how to get more grants:
- Always look for new grant options. Setting up a Google Alert is a good idea.
- Make sure the time spent to apply is actually worth the award.
- Read over the specific individual application instructions for each grant. Some are similar, but few are exactly the same.
- Double-check that you are eligible before spending a lot of time on an application.
- Provide specific numbers on how the grant will be used and how it will help.
- Double-check your spelling and grammar.
- If you can, submit your application early you may look more prepared than those who apply late.
- Back up claims with credible citations.
- Be realistic when mentioning your companys costs and revenue.
- Find a book from your library on grant writing if you want to write better proposals.
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Corporate Small Business Grants
Corporations, like Visa, offer small business grants to nonprofit organizations, startups and other organizations.
- Visa Everywhere Initiative: This is a global competition designed for startups that focus on solving commerce and payment issues. Winners receive free money, as well as global exposure for their business. You can sign up to be notified when 2022 applications become available.
- Walmart Local Community Grants: Walmart gives grants that range from $250 to $5,000 to nonprofit organizations that benefit the community. The application deadline is December 31, 2021.
- Nike Community Impact Fund: Nike, in partnership with the Charities Aid Foundation of America, awards funds to nonprofits in select metro areas that have a positive impact on communities through sports and other community-focused initiatives.
Local Small Business Grants
In addition to statewide government grants, cities, towns, and nonprofits finance their own small business grant programs. Continuing the trend, these usually carry smaller payloads but less competition. For local small business grants, youâve got a substantial upper hand if you serve your community in a tangible and demonstrable way.
Plus, is your small business aimed at promoting health, environmental consciousness, or similar initiatives? If so, youâll be looking at even more local grants to apply forâand get funding for your eco-friendly business. Because local small business grants are so geographically specific, weâve pulled just a few to show you what kinds of opportunities may exist in your nearby city or town. Again, make sure to look for similar programs in your own locality.
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Small Business Technology Transfer Program
Small Business Technology Transfer Programs are similar to SBIRs but focused on the technology industry. This grant is issued to businesses in the technology industry.
- Award amount: Phase 1, $50,000$250,000 for six months or one year Phase 2, $750,000 for two years .
- How to apply: Apply with a specific solicitation if you meet industry requirements.
These grants help fund innovative technological advancement in many fields with the intention of boosting the economy.
What Do Local Enterprise Office Do
For a full list of the different types of small business grants and supports available from your Local Enterprise Office, and to find out where your nearest office is, read our dedicated guide.
We hope it will help you disocver the range of support available and choose the best support for your business.
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Distance Learning And Telemedicine Grant
The Department of Agriculture offers this grant program for small businesses and agricultural producers that are modernizing education and health in rural communities. Specifically, these business grants are an option if your company provides education or health services through telecommunications. Awards range from $50,000 to $1,000,000.
Take A Hard Look At Your Business Plan
A business plan is the cornerstone of your business, and it should be updated regularly. A good business plan will help you set goals and define your startup’s vision and direction. It should also establish a timeline for achieving those goals and metrics to track progress.
The best way to start writing your business plan is by talking it through with someone who has been there before especially if they’ve achieved some level of success in their industry. The person you select should be able to provide constructive criticism, from its lack of organization or clarity to any sections that are too wordy or confusing. They can also help guide you through crucial elements like financial projections, marketing strategies, staffing needs anything that might affect how quickly your company grows over time once it has launched into operation mode.
It’s important not only because other people may read this document later down the road when deciding whether or not to invest in your startup venture but most importantly because you’ll want them to see how well thought out your plans were before moving forward with anything else.
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Maine Forestry Recovery Initiative
Maine is dedicating $14 million to a new round of grant funding for Maine forestry companies. This is the second round of the Forest Recovery Initiative, which initially provided $20 million to 219 forestry companies back in November 2021. The Maine Technology Institute will administer the program, which will provide between $250,000 to $2,000,000 to eligible companies. Funds can be used to address new market demands, develop sustainable new products, or advance long-term stability and pandemic recovery efforts. The deadline to apply for phase two funds is October 18.
How Much In Grants Do You Need
Before you get into it and start your applications, it is a good idea to determine how much in small business grants or funding you need. To apply for funding via government sources you have to be prepared in knowing how much to apply for.
This is often a hard decision to make as you want to make sure you get approved.
So how much funding do you need?
This is something you determine based on your business plan.
What are your business needs?
How much do you need in order to launch your business/start your business, expand your business?
A great way to determine how much funding you need is to look at your business plans startup or expansion costs. Any costs you can’t cover on your own, these are the funds you can ask for.
Generally speaking, the various funding agencies provide a range of funds.
Some provide as little as $1,500 while some can fund an on-going million+ if needed.
Again, this really depends on your funding needs, how much you need and on the program that you apply for.
It is important to follow the have a clear breakdown within your business plan of all of the expenses you may need help with. Doing so will allow you to apply to multiple programs and clearly be able to explain how much you need for each of the business activities you need to have covered.
Remember that there are funds in all industries.
These industries all often get summed up into the below industries categories:
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Flexible Workforce Development Fund
The FWDF is open both to UK Apprenticeship Levy paying employers and Small and Medium Enterprises in Scotland.
Where specific training needs cannot be provided via a local college, Levy payers have the option to access funding through an independent training provider , the total fund available through this route being £2m. SMEs can work with either their local college or with the Open University to access training up to the value of £5,000.
- Have the flexibility to choose the training that best meets their needs
- Can use the Fund to address priority skills gaps
- Can access tailored training in high-quality learning environments
- Engage and motivate existing employees by offering them high quality training to bring the greatest benefits to your organisation
The CBFS is managed by Arts & Business Scotland, an independent charity. The fund offers pound for pound match funding for eligible projects of between £1,000 and £40,000 and is available across two tiers:
- Smaller funds of between £1,000 and £3,000
- Larger funds of over £3,000 and up to £40,000
Its aims are to encourage businesses to sponsor arts and heritage activity within Scotland while building new business sector partnerships over a minimum two to three-year commitment.
American Association Of University Women
The American Association of University Women not only offers academic and research grants but also grants for career development for women looking to change careers or reenter the workforce.
- Award amount: $2,000$20,000
- How to apply: Visit the website for a timeline and eligibility requirements.
In addition to grants for individual career betterment, the AAUW also grants funds for projects that encourage and jump-start young girls’ careers in technical fields.
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What Can Small Business Grants Be Used For
The small business grants that are available come in many different forms, but most can be used towards a number of different funding expenses that a small business may have. If used in combination with other government funding types, grants can help your business cover costs of:
- Hiring and Training Costs
- To improve Cash-flow and to Cover Startup Costs
- For Marketing and Advertising
For a full list of what the government grants can be used towards, download the free grants guide PDF below and review all potential expenses your business may cover with the help of these grants.
Government Grants and Funding Purpose
Finding out if you are eligible for a government grant program can be confusing. However, if you know how to look, it really cant get much simpler.
The grants guide for small businesses will help you understand how to figure out if you’re eligible for any government grants and what you may be eligible for. Download the Grants Guide here.