Small Business Grants for Women
Female small business owners, take note: there are plenty of small business grant opportunities out there, but it might not be a cinch to find them. Today we’re rounding up 5 grant options for women entrepreneurs to help you get a leg up with free financing.
- Women’s Business Centers
Sponsored by the Small Business Administration (SBA), Women’s Business Centers nationwide are a great resource for funding at the state and local level. Check out the Funding for women-owned small business section to learn what’s available in your area in terms of capital.
- Amber Grant
Founded by WomensNet in 1998, the Amber Grant is awarded monthly to a variety of female-owned businesses each month. According to the website, “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.” All you need to apply is to be a business operating in the U.S. or Canada with an interesting story and a passion for your business. There’s also a small application fee.
- gov
While not specific to female-owned small businesses, this list of federally sponsored grants is an ideal database to check out. Grants.gov requires a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to apply (this is replacing the DUNS number previously required to do business with the federal government). Visit SAM.gov to learn more and obtain your UEI. After that number is secured, you’ll be able to create a Grants.gov account and search for available small business grants.
- IFundWomen
IFundWomen has a mission to “close the funding gap for women-owned businesses.” According to the website, “IFundWomen provides a platform for women-led businesses to access capital through online fundraising, access to small business grants, expert coaching, professional creative production, a collaborative entrepreneur community, and access to industry connections critical to launching and growing businesses.” Check out a list of their available grants here.
- SoGal Black Founder Startup Grant
SoGal prides itself as “the largest global platform for diverse entrepreneurs and investors.” It stretches across 6 continents, with a mission to “close the diversity gap in entrepreneurship and venture capital.” They offer cash grants between $5K – $10K to Black female or nonbinary business owners. In addition to funding, recipients of these grants also “ask-me-anything” access the SoGal Foundation to help them throughout their entrepreneurial journey. Learn more about the qualifications and application process here.
Grants are a great way to secure no-cost funding for your small business. But the competition is tough, and it can take a significant amount of time to win these grants. Not to worry—there are always small business loan options at ARF Financial. Over the past 20+ years, business owners have been coming to secure funding for their business dreams—apply in just 5 easy steps and only about 10 minutes of your time. Stop by today to learn more.